China’s railways see holiday return peak amid vibrant tourism market
Source Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror
Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Tianjin Railway Station in north China’s Tianjin, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Du Penghui/Xinhua)
China’s railways saw the peak of the holiday return rush on Wednesday, with 24.15 million passenger trips expected on the final day of the National Day holiday, amid strong travel demand and vibrant tourism activity across the country.
A total of 2,449 additional passenger trains were scheduled on Wednesday to cope with the surge in demand, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.
On Tuesday, the country’s railways handled 21.6 million passenger trips, marking the third consecutive day with more than 20 million journeys.
Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai were among the busiest cities for departures and arrivals, while passenger flows were particularly heavy on routes including Beijing-Shanghai, Wuhan-Shanghai, Wuhan-Shenzhen and Xi’an-Chengdu.
Railway authorities across the country added services and expanded overnight operations to facilitate the return rush as China’s tourism market remained vibrant during the seven-day holiday, with county-level destinations and nighttime consumption emerging as notable trends.
County-level destinations gained popularity as travelers increasingly sought slower-paced and more immersive experiences away from major cities.
From the coastal county of Lingshui in south China’s Hainan Province to Mohe, a county-level city on the country’s northern frontier, smaller destinations are drawing visitors with distinctive local experiences.
Meanwhile, nighttime consumption flourished in many cities, with cultural performances, night markets, light shows and food fairs extending visitor stays and enriching holiday experiences. ■
Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in east China’s Shanghai, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)
Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua)
Passengers leave Tianjin West Railway Station in north China’s Tianjin, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows vehicles running on an expressway in Baita Town of Xianju County, Taizhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Wang Huabin/Xinhua)
Passengers line up for check-in at the waiting hall of Tianjin West Railway Station in north China’s Tianjin, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Passengers board a train at Hohhot East Railway Station in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)
An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows a view of Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua)
Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Shenyang North Railway Station in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)
A railway staff member (2nd R) helps with a passenger’s wheelchair at Hohhot East Railway Station in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)
An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows vehicles passing the Guiyang North toll gate in Guiyang, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)
A bullet train runs past Yongdingmen Gate in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
A drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows the traffic flow on the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Liu Jianhua/Xinhua)
Passengers go through security check at Hohhot East Railway Station in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)
A bullet train runs in the urban area of Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Zheng Yi/Xinhua)
A volunteer (R) helps a passenger at Hohhot East Railway Station in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)
Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Tianjin West Railway Station in north China’s Tianjin, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Arriving passengers are pictured at Nanjing Railway Station in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua)
A bullet train runs near Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
Passengers are seen at Harbin Railway Station in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Yuan Yong/Xinhua)
Passengers check in at Tongren South Railway Station in Tongren City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Hu Panxue/Xinhua)
Passengers board a train at Jiaxing South Railway Station in Jiaxing City, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Jin Peng/Xinhua)
A drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows vehicles lining up to enter a ro-ro passenger ship at Yantai Port in Yantai, east China’s Shandong Province. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua)
Passengers enter the waiting hall of Shenyang North Railway Station in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)
An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows vehicles running on the Sutong Bridge in east China’s Jiangsu Province. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Qian Xianhua/Xinhua)
Passengers are seen at Harbin Railway Station in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Yuan Yong/Xinhua)
An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows vehicles running on a bridge on Beijing-Shanghai Expressway in east China’s Jiangsu Province. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Gu Jihong/Xinhua)
Passengers board a train at Jinhua Railway Station in Jinhua, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Hu Xiaofei/Xinhua)
Passengers are seen at Fuyang West Railway Station in Fuyang, east China’s Anhui Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Lu Qijian/Xinhua)
Passengers board a train at Dingxi North Railway Station in Dingxi City, northwest China’s Gansu Province, Oct. 7, 2026. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close, return travel flows increase across the country. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)
Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20261007/e99555f9b4574abcaf204568d7282f5c/c.html
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
