A veteran C919 pilot, who has missed most Spring Festival's eves with his family over two decades of flying, is once again on duty during the Spring Festival travel rush, guiding passengers safely home for reunion.
The Spring Festival travel rush, or chunyun, the world's largest annual human migration, is expected to see a record 9.5 billion inter-regional passenger trips across the country during this year's 40-day period from Feb 2 to March 13. Millions will embark on journeys to reunite with loved ones and celebrate the arrival of the Chinese New Year.
The C919, China's first domestically-developed large passenger jet, commenced commercial operations in May 2023. Major carriers including Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines have all introduced the aircraft into their fleets, with most units deployed during this year's Spring Festival travel rush.
To cope with the travel rush, major airlines have also significantly expanded capacity. Air China has announced plans to operate more than 70,000 passenger flights during the period, while China Southern Airlines is scheduled to conduct over 126,000 passenger flights.
At 07:00, Hao Xin, a C919 pilot from Air China, begins his day preparing for flight CA8204, starting with an alcohol test and pre-flight briefing before heading to the airport.
"The Spring Festival travel rush is a crucial period for Chinese people. The volume of passenger trips increases significantly. The passenger load for the C919 is relatively high. The flight is often fully booked," said Hao.
With all pre-flight preparations complete, passengers begin boarding Hao's flight to Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. A major transportation hub and one of China's most populous cities, Wuhan awaits travelers brimming with the joy of holiday and family reunion.
"The Spring Festival is very important for the Chinese and it's also great to be part of it and see family reunions and get together with everybody, it is good to see the spirit of China," said a passenger.
Upon arriving in Wuhan, the aircraft remains on the ground for just one hour before Hao departs with another group of passengers bound for the nation's capital.
"I think every holiday is the busiest working time for transportation industry workers. I have been working as a pilot for 23 years. I have only been able to reunite with my family on New Year's Eve less than five times," Hao said.
Hao said that although he cannot reunite with his own family during this traditional festival, seeing so many passengers arrive home safely and embrace their loved ones brings him great joy.
Veteran C919 pilot sticks to post during Spring Festival
As young Chinese consumers prepare for the upcoming Spring Festival, they are driving a shift in traditional shopping habits, adding emotional and cultural meaning to their holiday purchases.
Falling on Feb 17 this year, the Spring Festival marks the start of the Chinese New Year and ushers in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the Chinese zodiac.
Buying new clothes has long been part of the cultural customs surrounding Chinese New Year. But among younger shoppers, there is a growing demand for designs that are not only festive but culturally rooted, blending traditional Chinese elements with modern flair. This movement has given rise to a major trend in domestic fashion known as "New Chinese Style."
According to recent industry estimates, China's new Chinese-style fashion market is now valued at approximately 36 billion U.S. dollars, with the Chinese New Year season marking its strongest sales period.
Yang Lingling, founder of Mi Dong Fang, a brand for new Chinese-style clothing said that the visitor flow of the store has been steadily increasing since the first of January.
With the Year of the Horse approaching, items featuring horse motifs -- along with designs carrying auspicious meanings -- are among the best-sellers.
"This piece is called Galloping Horse Welcoming Spring. This one is in festive New Year red. The cuffs feature tiny horses carrying money bags," Yang said.
But the store owner believes the emotional satisfaction of buying New Chinese Style goes beyond simply wishing for good fortune.
"Customers have a deep recognition of traditional Chinese culture," she noted.
This sense of cultural pride is also echoed by designer Li Guanyu. The Year of the Horse cultural and creative products created by him and his team have been well received by younger consumers.
"China is already very strong when these young people were born, so they fully embrace the beautiful aspects of our traditional culture," said Li Guanyu, General Manager of Bushes Culture.
Li says sales of Year of the Horse products are particularly strong compared with previous years, thanks to growing interest among young people in cultural and creative products. And the best-selling products are those that combine traditional elements with playful or fun features.
"For example, this one is inspired by the rocking horse that children play on. We then added traditional Chinese symbols of good luck -- a chubby god of wealth holding a big gold ingot, sitting on the horse," explained Li.
From traditional motifs to creative designs, these products let young shoppers connect with Chinese heritage in a fun and meaningful way -- giving them a strong emotional satisfaction as they express their personality and cultural identity during the Chinese New Year.
Young Chinese consumers add emotional value to Spring Festival shopping
