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China expects record single-day passenger trips on Thursday

China

China

China

China expects record single-day passenger trips on Thursday

2026-02-20 09:16 Last Updated At:14:37

Over 339 million inter-regional passenger trips were predicted across China on Thursday, up 11.5 percent from the previous year and marking a new single-day record since this year's Spring Festival travel rush began on Feb 2, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Thursday marked the 18th day of this year's 40-day Spring Festival travel rush.

The Spring Festival, which is also known as the Chinese New Year, fell on Tuesday this year.

On Thursday, the railway operator in Ji'an City, east China's Jiangxi Province, launched the first customized high-speed train for migrant workers after the nine-day Spring Festival holiday began on Sunday, bringing 415 skilled workers to Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province.

Railway stations in Chengdu City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, and Fuyang, east China's Anhui Province, added temporary trains to bring migrant workers to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and other destinations.

The transport ministry expected the country's railways to handle 13.4 million passenger trips, with 747 additional passenger trains planned on Thursday.

It anticipated more than 60 million vehicles on the highway.

The country's civil aviation sector was projected to manage 2.55 million passenger trips, a year-on-year increase of 9.1 percent, and handle 19,237 flights, according to the ministry.

Data released Thursday by the transport authorities showed that China on Wednesday recorded 322.988 million inter-regional passenger trips on the 17th day of the travel rush, 9.7 percent higher than the same period in 2025.

Railway, road, waterway, and civil aviation networks handled 10.801 million, 308.15 million, 1.565 million, and 2.473 million passenger trips, respectively.

China expects record single-day passenger trips on Thursday

China expects record single-day passenger trips on Thursday

People of the Tibetan ethnic group marked the first day of the Tibetan Fire Horse New Year on Wednesday with lively cultural performances.

The Tibetan New Year, or Losar, is the most significant celebration for people of the Tibetan ethnic group. This year, it coincides with the Spring Festival, which fell on Tuesday and ushered in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

In Kangding City of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan Province, local residents celebrated the Tibetan New Year with colorful parades and folk performances. A series of performances including Tibetan operas, folk dances, and music performed on traditional instruments, took to the stage, winning warm applauses from locals and visitors.

Meanwhile, in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, local families dressed in festive attire gathered to share festive delicacies. They danced together while performing traditional Tibetan Balang drums, an intangible cultural heritage item of Gansu Province, to pray for peace and well-being in the coming year.

People of Tibetan ethnic group celebrate New Year

People of Tibetan ethnic group celebrate New Year

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