China witnessed a substantial surge in domestic travel activity as the nation commenced its three-day New Year holiday period. Official statistics released by the Ministry of Transport revealed that the country recorded approximately 207 million passenger journeys across different regions on January 1st, 2026, representing a notable 20.3 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Road transportation dominated the travel landscape, accounting for the overwhelming majority of passenger movements. Data indicated that road trips reached 186.28 million, demonstrating a robust 17.5 percent year-on-year growth. Railway transport experienced the most dramatic expansion, with passenger volumes soaring to 18.56 million trips—an impressive 67.9 percent increase from the previous year’s commencement of the holiday period.
The maritime sector reported modest growth, with waterway transport facilitating 684,000 passenger journeys, marking a 2.9 percent rise. In contrast, civil aviation witnessed a decline, handling 1.95 million passenger trips which represented a 10.3 percent decrease compared to the first day of the previous year’s holiday.
Concurrently, China’s postal and logistics sector demonstrated remarkable activity, with official figures showing the collection of 451 million parcels and the delivery of 531 million packages nationwide on the same day, highlighting the continued integration of travel and commerce during holiday periods.