China's transportation network is bracing for a nationwide surge in return traffic on Saturday, the last day of the New Year holiday.
The total number of cross-regional passenger trips across the country on Friday was expected to exceed 180 million, representing a year-on-year growth of 13.4 percent, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.
The national railways handled more than 12.21 million passenger trips on Friday, the third day of the holiday travel rush running from Dec 31, 2025 to Jan 4, 2026.
As travelers begin to return from holiday destinations, the railway system is estimated to welcome 17.45 million passenger trips on Saturday, according to China State Railway Group.
Railway authorities have scheduled 1,343 additional pairs of passenger trains across the country to accommodate the increased travel demand.
Meanwhile, it was estimated that China's civil aviation sector handled 1.85 million passenger trips on Friday.
Notably, south China's Hainan Province has witnessed a peak in entry and exit across airport ports during the New Year holiday, the first public holiday after the province officially launched island-wide special customs operations on Dec 18 last year. The total number of cross-border passenger trips during the holiday is expected to reach 33,500.
Road traffic in China is equally busy, primarily consisting of short and medium-distance self-driving trips, including visits to relatives and friends as well as short-distance travels.
The national road network recorded more than 170 million trips on Friday, a year-on-year increase of 13 percent, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The ministry's Highway Monitoring and Response Center said that Friday logged a traffic volume of 32.6 million vehicles, an 11 percent year-on-year increase.
China sees return travel rush as Near Year holiday comes to end
Breaking long-standing Western heroic narrative conventions in filmmaking, the trending Chinese anti-war film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East", is reshaping global cinematic discourse on war and peace.
The summer blockbuster was released on Tuesday nationwide and had earned box office revenue of more than 536 million yuan (around 79.5 million U.S. dollars) as of 22:00 Friday.
The story centers on Xu Fu, a down-on-his-luck Chinese chef portrayed by celebrated comedian Shen Teng, who travels to the Middle East to settle his debts. There, he joins forces with a local restaurant manager to operate a bustling restaurant, bringing authentic Chinese culinary traditions to a war-torn foreign land.
As a distinct Chinese anti-war feature, "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" abandons timeworn Western heroic storytelling. The film adopts the humble viewpoint of Xu Fu, an ordinary cook. Through his eyes as a neutral bystander, it portrays the struggles and sufferings of ordinary people trapped in conflict and uses food and everyday life to explore survival, compassion and the value of peace, rather than focusing on the battlefield.
Such a narrative perspective is quite pioneering among global anti-war film productions.
"It realistically reflects the turmoil of war. Therefore, we desire peace and oppose the suffering that wars of aggression inflict upon the people," a moviegoer praised.
Meanwhile, the blockbuster has garnered massive overseas anticipation prior to its international debut. Many global film enthusiasts agree that the production epitomizes a transformative shift in Chinese film industry, which is overhauling Hollywood's established narrative paradigms and reinterpreting the global narrative of war and peace at a higher level.
"Just imagine how this story would unfold if Hollywood were to film it. It would almost certainly follow the standard formula of superheroes, super-soldiers, or elite operatives swooping in, resolving the crisis in a flash, and then disappearing. What does the 'Once Upon a Time in the Middle East' offer? The idea that the best days are those spent sharing a meal together. Conversely, what drives people to fight instead of dining together? Anyone who has seen the film knows the answer. That is why some netizens have said that if this movie were to compete for a U.S. Oscar award, it would be a voice representing the Global South," said Zuo Heng, a researcher at the China Film Archive.
Many scholars also hold the view that war narratives on international screens have long revolved around contests of victory and military conquest, but "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" does not stoke hatred nor glorify victory by force. Instead, it hides the key to peace amid the mundane routines of daily meals.
This vision of peace, rooted in the moderation and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization, blazes a new trail of expression for global anti-war films.
It constitutes an innovation in film creation and enables the world to see perceptions of peace different from those of the West.
"The film delivers an anti-war perspective that diverges from the Hollywood paradigm. It abandons Hollywood-style individualism, and quietly challenges the 'America First' mindset. 'Once Upon a Time in the Middle East' keeps exploring innovative approaches to shape contemporary Chinese discourse and narrative systems," said Sun Jiashan, a researcher with the Department of Chinese Culture Education and Research under the Central Institute of Socialism.
Chinese anti-war film offers new cinematic narrative on war and peace
