Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in Guangdong gears up for surging Spring Festival travel

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan link in south China's Guangdong Province has recorded a notable rise in traffic, with China's 2026 Spring Festival travel rush now in full swing.

During this year's Spring Festival travel rush, Guangdong is estimated to record about 307 million vehicle trips and about 1.16 billion cross-regional passenger trips, according to local transportation authorities.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which opened to traffic in June 2024, is a mega cross-sea passage in south China that features two bridges, two artificial islands, and an underwater tunnel.

As a key transport hub connecting Shenzhen, Zhongshan, and Guangzhou's Nansha District, the link has entered its peak traffic period, with daily traffic volumes expected to exceed 160,000 vehicles on the busiest days.

Local transportation authorities forecast that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link will handle high traffic throughout this year's travel season, with total vehicle trips projected to surpass 4 million.

Given the sustained high traffic volume, ensuring smooth and safe travel has become a priority. To this end, local authorities have established joint service posts on key locations across the link. Emergency vehicles, including road sweepers, rescue vehicles, and patrol cars, are on standby around the clock at the post to ensure rapid response.

Besides, nearly 200 personnel from departments including traffic police, fire rescue, and highway management, along with nearly 100 specialized vehicles, will maintain 24/7 operations along the link throughout the travel rush period.

Furthermore, to help travelers experience a richer festive atmosphere, multiple expressway service areas in Guangdong have set up special Chinese New Year goods markets. Local specialties including Cantonese cured meats are available, allowing the festive spirit to travel with the flow of passengers and vehicles into households across the country.

The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, falls on February 17 this year, and the official holiday lasts nine days. The annual travel surge, known as chunyun, is expected to generate a record 9.5 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the 40-day period running from February 2 to March 13 this year.

Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in Guangdong gears up for surging Spring Festival travel

Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.

According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.

The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.

The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.

FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.

If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.

These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.

Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO