Millions of travelers are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival amid long-haul train rides, with China's railways serve up mooncakes, organize interactive activities and cultural performance to promote joy and togetherness during the festival, which falls on Oct 6 this year.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival falls alongside National Day holiday this year, the extended eight-day break has driven a surge in travel demand fueled by robust tourism and family visits.
At the bustling Suifenhe Railway port on the China-Russia border in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, international travelers were greeted on Monday with trays of mooncakes, a traditional pastry dedicated to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
At the railway station in Yichun City, east China's Jiangxi Province, passengers actively participated in various activities, such as solving riddles, tasting mooncakes and posing for photos with staff members dressed as mythical moon goddess Chang'e.
Onboard the trains from Wuhan to Shenzhen, Urumqi to Beijing and Shanghai, vibrant shows were staged featuring dancing, making hand-made lanterns, and solving riddles, adding a unique festive atmosphere.
As short-haul trips spiked during the holiday in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local railway and tourism authorities have ramped up coordination and exchange of passenger traffic data, adding extra trains, and extending shuttle bus schedules, so as to allow visitors to explore the region at their convenience.
China's railways launch celebration activities for travelers
