China expects over 90 mln railway trips during Qingming holiday travel rush

Passengers are seen at a platform of Harbin Railway Station in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 3, 2026. (Photo by Yuan Yong/Xinhua)

China is likely to see 90.5 million railway passenger trips from Friday to next Tuesday during the upcoming Qingming Festival holiday travel rush, according to the national railway operator.

Expecting an average of 18.1 million trips daily during the five-day travel rush, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. forecasted a travel peak on Saturday with a single-day total of 21.2 million trips.

According to the operator, this year's Qingming Festival holiday features strong demand for travel related to visiting relatives, ancestor worship, spring outings and tourism, with the passenger flow witnessing a large proportion of medium and short-distance trips, and a significant increase in tourism-related travel.

Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, falls on April 5 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival for people to pay tribute to the dead and worship their ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for people as they engage in outdoor activities and sightseeing.

Passengers are seen at a platform of Hefei Railway Station in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, April 3, 2026. (Photo by Su Nan/Xinhua)

A child checks in at Huzhou Railway Station in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 3, 2026. (Photo by Yi Fan/Xinhua)

Foreign passengers check in at Guiyang North Railway Station in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 3, 2026. (Photo by Long Jianrui/Xinhua)

Passengers are seen at a platform of Nanjing Railway Station in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 3, 2026. (Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua)