Golden Week Begins: 25.2 Million Rail Trips on Day One as China Travel Surge Peaks
China's seven-day National Day holiday, known as Golden Week, began on Oct. 1, with the national railway carrying about 25.2 million passengers on the first day alone, according to transport ministry figures reported by Travel And Tour World. Expressway tolls were waived for eligible private cars, and cross-regional travel entered one of its busiest periods of the year.
More than 20,000 cultural and tourism activities were scheduled nationwide during the holiday, and local governments issued roughly 310 million yuan in tourism consumer vouchers and subsidies to support spending on dining, hotels and retail. Rail authorities planned 2,449 additional trains for the return peak expected on Oct. 7.
Outbound travel was also building on expanded visa-free policies: by September, China had extended unilateral visa-free entry to travelers from 50 countries and lengthened visa-free transit to 240 hours for 57 countries. Data from platforms including Ctrip and Mafengwo showed long-haul destinations such as New Zealand and Iceland gaining popularity among Chinese holidaymakers this Golden Week.
Local tourism boards used the Golden Week window to roll out new offerings, with extended museum hours, night-economy programs and performance markets becoming standard this year. Industry watchers expected short-haul and 'reverse tourism' trips — travelers swapping marquee cities for smaller ones — to build in the holiday's second half, while return tickets on the hottest routes sold out early across platforms.
Photo: 北京西站旅客实景，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons，摄影：N509FZ）
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：北京西站站台上，旅客们走向停靠的列车。摄影：N509FZ，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
