China's 2025 Spring Festival travel rush hit a new peak on Friday as over 272 million trips were recorded nationwide – that's like moving the entire population of Indonesia in 24 hours! 🌍 The mega-migration, known as chunyun, saw travelers crisscrossing the Chinese mainland via trains, planes, and highways ahead of Lunar New Year family reunions.
Friday's numbers broke records with:
🚆 14.2 million rail passengers (imagine 18,000 bullet trains!)
🛣️ 255 million highway users
✈️ 2.39 million air travelers
This year's chunyun isn't just about numbers – it's the first since UNESCO recognized the Spring Festival as intangible cultural heritage in December 2024. Cultural significance meets modern mobility as the 40-day period (Jan 14-Feb 22) could see 9 billion trips total – equivalent to every person on Earth traveling 1.1 times! 📈
Pro tip for travelers: If you think your local music festival is crowded, remember Thursday's 256 million trips already showed a 32% year-on-year increase. Pack snacks and patience! 🎒
