Rail, Civil Aviation and Highway Sectors Jointly Fuel Spring Travel Surge

During the 2026 Qingming Festival (April 4-6), China’s cross-regional population flow hit 845 million person-trips, a 6% YoY rise. Many regions combined spring and Qingming breaks into a 6-day holiday, boosting medium and long-distance travel. Railway passenger volume rose 8.2% YoY, civil aviation saw 1.84 million daily trips, and highways remained the main travel mode, accounting for over 90% of the flow. Measures were taken nationwide to meet the surging charging needs of new energy vehicles. Family and parent-child tours prevailed, driving full-chain consumption with theme parks and flower-viewing spots popular. The holiday fully demonstrated China’s economic resilience and huge domestic demand potential.

By Li Yue, Li Jiexin(intern),Zhang Zhenqi/China Youth Daily