With temperatures gradually declining, flocks of migratory birds are stopping over at restored wetlands in central China's Hunan Province on their southward journey, a testament to years of dedicated restoration work.
The southern Dongting Lake wetland, a site in Nanxian County, serves as a key stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The area has recorded sightings of national first-class protected species such as the oriental stork and the milu deer that rest there.
Wetland restoration, ecological water replenishment, and improved vegetation have created better habitats for birds, with more wintering migrants expected from mid-October.
Years of wetland restoration boosts migrant bird diversity in Hunan
As the week-long National Day holiday enters its fifth day on Monday, many travelers across China are heading home, prompting transport authorities to ramp up services for a safe and orderly return.
Rail networks are projected to handle 21.05 million passenger trips on Monday alone, with over 1,400 additional trains scheduled to keep pace with demand. To manage heavy passenger influxes and overlapping arrivals, stations in multiple cities have opened extra exit gates, established close coordination mechanisms with local transport departments, increased bus scheduling frequencies and extended operating hours into the night. Several hubs have rolled out integrated travel services, linking high-speed rail, buses, and tourist attractions to facilitate transfers. Highways are also beginning to see increasing return traffic, with heavy congestion concentrated on routes into major cities and key inter-provincial corridors. According to the Ministry of Transport, more than 30 expressway sections nationwide are expected to see significant jams on Monday. In response, local traffic authorities have stepped up monitoring of road networks, issued timely congestion alerts and alternative route guidance, and encouraged travelers to stagger their departures.
Waterways are expected to handle 1.48 million passenger trips on Monday, up 14.8 percent year on year. To ease long queues and ticket difficulties for island trips, the Ningbo Terminal in east China's Zhejiang Province is offering online reservations for private cars heading to destinations in Zhoushan across the sea. Travelers can book a sailing half a day in advance, with separate passenger and vehicle channels and free shuttle buses in place to ensure a smoother experience.
The National Day holiday, widely known as the Golden Week, runs from October 1 to 7 this year. It is one of China's busiest travel and tourism seasons, typically triggering massive nationwide movements as hundreds of millions of people travel for family reunions or leisure.
China braces for return travel peak as National Day holiday nears end
