China is experiencing a nationwide return travel rush during the last two days of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which runs from Oct 1 to 8.
The Highway Monitoring and Response Center of the Ministry of Transport estimates the daily traffic volume of the national road network may reach 56 million vehicles on Wednesday, slightly down from the previous day.
In north China's Hebei Province, the traffic police have increased patrols and surveillance along key road sections during peak hours and set up 83 service stations to ensure quick response to traffic accidents and thus smooth traffic on the highways.
In east China's Shandong Province, a highway charging station capable of supplying 10 vehicles simultaneously was built specially to help ease pressure on existing stations during the holiday.
"We chose to build a charging station in this key location based on big data analysis. We have also established an emergency response mechanism, with a maintenance team twice the normal size standing by 24 hours a day. If the equipment fails, we will immediately rush to deal with it," said He Lin, an electrician overseeing the facility.
Meanwhile, railway operators across China have implemented coordinated measures to boost capacity and ensure efficient travel, including locomotive double heading and adding trains.
The Yinchuan Passenger Section of China Railway Lanzhou Bureau Group said that the long-distance return trips from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region are mainly bound for major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, while the short-distance ones, for cities like Lanzhou and Xi'an. It's operating 39.5 pairs of high-speed trains and 12 pairs of normal trains to meet the surging demands.
In Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, the Taiyuan Wusu International Airport has set up additional check-in counters, established channels for late arriving passengers, and expanded staff for traveler guidance and inquiry.
The airport is also working with various airlines to make the best of its capacity.
The busiest flights are those toward major cities such as Shanghai, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Hangzhou, according to the airport.
In water transport, the two major ferry terminals in Shenzhen City of south China's Guangdong Province are expected to handle a total of 18,000 passenger trips on Wednesday, an epitome of the nationwide travel rush.
China sees return travel rush as National Day holiday comes to end
China sees return travel rush as National Day holiday comes to end
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
