As the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush begins on Monday, transportation hubs across China have introduced a series of thoughtful measures to ensure the world's largest annual human migration proceeds more smoothly, safely, and comfortably for millions of travelers.
Known as chunyun, this period of intense travel demand occurs around the Chinese New Year, which falls on February 17 this year, when large numbers of migrant workers, students, and others return to their hometowns to reunite with the family.
South China's Hainan Province is carrying out its first chunyun since it launched the island-wide special customs operations, a major milestone that's bringing an influx of travelers and vehicles. Officials expect more than 4.66 million passengers and 1.17 million vehicles will cross the Qiongzhou Strait, up 12 percent and 10 percent, respectively, from last year.
In response to a particular rising demand for shipping new energy vehicles (NEVs), Haikou's Xinhai Port has deployed two additional ferries dedicated to NEV transport, bringing the total fleet to four and ensuring specialized, efficient cross-strait passage for eco-friendly cars.
In the economic powerhouse of Guangdong Province, railways alone are projected to handle 50 million passenger trips during the 40-day period, with an estimated 1.31 million trips on the first day.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region now connects with 110 mainland destinations via the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, spanning 19 provincial-level regions. The line is expected to serve 4.8 million cross-border travelers, a 9 percent jump from last year.
In Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, a combination of advanced technology and attentive service is prominently featured at the city's bustling railway stations. The 11 passenger rail stations in Hangzhou are projected to handle 11.28 million passenger trips during the travel rush, up 3.8 percent from 2025.
At Hangzhou East Railway Station, a "robot security squad" has been deployed, patrolling platforms at speeds up to two meters per second and equipped with infrared night vision for round-the-clock vigilance. They are joined by the locally developed "Rail Police No.1" robot, which offers one-touch emergency alerts and precise location tracking, working hand-in-hand with human officers to safeguard every journey.
Kunming Changshui International Airport in Yunnan Province, a gateway to South and Southeast Asia, is expected to handle more than 6 million passenger trips during this season. Airlines have increased flights to meet both homebound and tourist travel demand. The airport offers full escort services for seniors, those with limited mobility, and young children. For transit passengers with layovers between four to 48 hours, the airport provides convenient city tour options and even free rest facilities.
In Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the newly opened terminal at Tianshan International Airport is gearing up for its inaugural chunyun. On Monday alone, officials expect 75,000 passengers will pass through the airport. During the full travel rush, the hub is forecast to see 3.05 million passengers and handle 27,000 tons of cargo and mail.
This year's chunyun will last through March 13. The National Development and Reform Commission forecast that inter-regional passenger trips nationwide will reach a record high of 9.5 billion.
Travel hubs across China enhance services for Spring Festival rush
