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Spring Festival travel rush starts

Writer: Han Ximin  |  Editor: Zhang Zhiqing  |  From: Original  |  Updated: 2025-01-15

Train G834, heading for Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province in Northwest China, departed from Shenzhen North Station at 6:08 a.m. yesterday, marking the start of the city's 40-day Spring Festival travel season.

To meet demand during this busy period, Shenzhen's railway system will operate over 1,000 passenger trains per day. Additionally, Shenzhen North Station will run 400 night trains throughout the season.

"Today, Shenzhen railway terminals will send around 260,000 passengers, including 175,000 departing from Shenzhen North Railway Station," said Liu Zhenwen, chief of the passenger transportation office of Shenzhen North Station, during an interview.  

Shenzhen North Station expects to handle 17.6 million passengers during the Spring Festival travel season, with a daily average of 440,000, marking a year-on-year increase of 6.6%.

Peak travel is expected between Jan. 25 and 27, three days before the Spring Festival holiday. 

Shenzhen Airlines will arrange 30,000 flights and add 1,600 additional flights during the season. It will add flights on routes to Northeast China, Southwest China, and Hainan Province, which are popular destinations for holiday travel. China Southern Airlines will add flights on 18 routes, primarily to tourism destinations in Northeast China, Yunnan Province, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

To meet outbound travel demand, China Southern Airlines began adding flights from Shenzhen to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Jan. 13 and plans to resume flights from Shenzhen to Tokyo after Feb. 10, with three flights per week. After the resumption of the Shenzhen-Tokyo route, China Southern Airlines will operate 15 international and regional routes from Shenzhen to cities worldwide, including those in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America.

Shenzhen Oceanus Group plans to intensify ferry services between Shenzhen's Shekou port and Hong Kong's airport from Jan. 21 to Feb. 4.  

Nationally, around 10.3 million train trips were expected yesterday, marking the start of China’s largest annual population migration. This happens 15 days ahead of the Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese Lunar New Year.

This is the first chunyun, or Spring Festival travel rush, since UNESCO inscribed Spring Festival on its intangible cultural heritage list in December.

Nationally, 9 billion passenger trips are expected over the next 40 days, until Feb. 22, with both rail and air passenger trips set to hit record highs.

During this 40-day travel surge, hundreds of millions of people in China will return to their hometowns for family reunions.


Passengers are seen at Shenzhen North Station yesterday, the first day of China’s 40-day Spring Festival travel rush. Liu Xudong

Train G834 heading for Xi'an departs from Shenzhen North Station yesterday morning. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen North Station

Passengers line up at Shenzhen North Station for the train G834 to Xi'an yesterday morning. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen North Station

Passengers ready to take the train G834 to Xi'an at Shenzhen North Station yesterday morning. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen North Station

A bustling crowd of travelers gather at the hall of Shenzhen North Station yesterday morning. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen North Station

A man walks through a passage at Shenzhen East Railway Station yesterday. Liu Xudong

Travelers fill a hall of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport yesterday, marking the first day of the 40-day Spring Festival travel season. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport

Travelers fill a hall of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport yesterday, marking the first day of the 40-day Spring Festival travel season. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport

A service ambassador at Shenzhen's Bao'an Airport offers help to the residents. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport

A volunteer at Shenzhen North Station provides assistances to passengers. Liu Xudong

Passengers are seen at Shenzhen North Station yesterday, the first day of China’s 40-day Spring Festival travel rush. Liu Xudong

A boy plays with a “Back Home for Spring Festival” sign in a car on train K4159 before its departure from Beijing yesterday. This marked the first passenger train to leave Beijing as China’s 40-day Spring Festival travel rush. Xinhua


Train G834, heading for Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province in Northwest China, departed from Shenzhen North Station at 6:08 a.m. today, marking the start of the city's 40-day Spring Festival travel season.