China's Lunar New Year travel rush remains the world's largest annual migration

The 40-day Lunar New Year travel rush began on Feb. 2 and runs through the official Spring Festival holidays from Feb. 15 to 23, with officials expecting a record 9.5 billion domestic trips. By Feb. 10 railways had carried 1.01 billion passengers and flights reached 16.32 million in the first week.

China's Lunar New Year travel rush began on Feb. 2 and will run for 40 days. The official Spring Festival public holidays are scheduled from Feb. 15 to 23. The annual movement, known as Chunyun, is often described as a barometer for economic activity and a pressure test for the country's transport system. Officials have reported higher expected travel tallies this year compared with last year. Key facts: - Officials expect a record 9.5 billion domestic trips during the 40-day period, up from about 9.02 billion last year. - The transport ministry revised its counting method before the 2023 holiday to include road trips on major national expressways, which raised official tallies. - By Feb. 10, China’s railways had carried 1.01 billion passengers since the rush began on Feb. 2. - Flights reached 16.32 million in the first week (by Feb. 8), with about 95 million flights expected during the full 40-day period. - Domestic demand has concentrated on destinations such as Hainan and Changbai Mountain, while international travel to Thailand and Australia has risen and Russia reopened visa-free travel for Chinese tourists in December 2025. - Demand for Japan has declined this year amid strained ties, according to travel industry reports. Summary: The travel rush represents a large seasonal movement that tests transport capacity and reflects travel demand during the holiday period. Authorities have set expectations for record total trips and noted an extended public holiday this year. Undetermined at this time.