China’s travel sector is handling an extraordinary increase in passenger movement during the annual seven-day National Day holiday running from October 1 to 7. Official projections released by the Ministry of Transport indicate that the nation will record approximately 2.13 billion cross-regional trips over the Golden Week period. Daily travel volumes are expected to average over 300 million trips, demonstrating robust public enthusiasm for domestic exploration, scenic tours, and family reunions.
The national travel rush reached its highest single-day intensity on the opening day of the holiday, with cross-regional trips reaching an estimated 340 million. This opening figure represents nearly double the typical daily transport movement recorded across the country.
National High-Speed Railway Network Deploys Extra Overnight Capacity
According to official releases from state operator China State Railway Group, the national rail network is currently processing unprecedented passenger numbers during its extended 16-day holiday operations period from September 23 to October 8. Over this full holiday window, total passenger journeys are forecast to reach 284 million, supported by an average daily schedule of roughly 13,000 passenger trains.
To manage peak transit demand—which saw 24.8 million passengers travel on October 1 alone across 2,324 newly deployed passenger trains—railway authorities implemented specialized overnight schedules. Approximately 700 additional overnight high-speed rail services were introduced along core trunk corridors, including the Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Shanghai, and Beijing-Harbin routes.
Major transport corridors and transit interchanges across central China have adjusted operations to support continuous traffic:
Wuhan Transit Hub (Hubei Province): Implemented round-the-clock operations across key passenger terminals to service late-night and early-morning high-speed train arrivals.
Nanchang Interchange (Jiangxi Province): Activated 24-hour facility management and continuous ground transport transfers for arriving holiday travelers.
Beijing-Harbin High-Speed Line: Deployed overnight bullet train runs to connect northern holiday destinations with major metropolitan centers.
Civil Aviation Expands Domestic and International Flight Operations
Data provided by the Civil Aviation Administration of China highlights matching growth across air travel sectors. Between September 25 and October 7, commercial airlines are projected to transport 31.19 million passengers, reflecting a 3.6 percent increase compared to prior holiday benchmarks. Daily air travel during this window is averaging 2.4 million passenger trips, with peak single-day volumes exceeding 2.6 million departures.
Domestic air traffic remains strong across Tier-1 metropolitan hubs while experiencing rapid expansion toward specialized cultural and natural tourism cities. Simultaneously, outbound international travel has registered significant year-on-year gains, with international flight ticket bookings rising by 22.5 percent.
Key international flight destination trends identified by aviation authorities include:
Regional Southeast Asia: Flight schedules to Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Laos experienced a 20 percent increase to meet demand for regional beach resorts and cultural destinations.
Long-Haul European Routes: Scheduled flights connecting to the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain expanded by 15 percent over the holiday period.
Self-Driving Road Travel Reaches Record Levels with Artificial Intelligence Traffic Tools
Road travel continues to serve as the primary mode of transport during the National Day holiday, with self-driving journeys expected to account for more than 90 percent of total cross-regional movements according to statements from the Ministry of Transport. On the first day of the holiday, national highway traffic reached 71 million vehicle trips, representing roughly 1.9 times the daily average recorded during August.
To preserve highway safety and mitigate bottlenecks near popular scenic reserves and key expressway corridors, transportation departments deployed advanced technological monitoring systems. The Ministry of Transport established an artificial intelligence road network assessment framework that analyzes historical travel patterns alongside real-time predictive data to identify potential bottleneck zones nationwide, enabling local traffic authorities to deploy quick-response routing measures.
Overland road excursions covering long distances are increasingly popular among young travelers and groups coordinating via digital platforms. For instance, self-driving routes stretching across northern provincial boundaries—such as multi-day itineraries connecting Hebei, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang through the Greater Khingan Mountains—allow travelers to explore northern forest reserves across thousands of kilometers.
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