China's 2026 Spring Festival holiday - a record nine days long - brought massive population movement and strong activity in consumption, tourism, cinema and retail.
According to data from China State Railway Group, China's railways carried about 121 million passengers during the holiday season (Feb 15-23), with a daily average of 13.41 million trips, up 11.5 percent year-on-year. A record 18.73 million passengers were recorded on February 23, a new record for a single day during the period.
In order to ensure smooth transport combining family visits, migrant returns and tourism, the railways operated an average of 12,380 passenger trains per day. Service improvements included optimised ticketing strategies, discounts and special trains for migrants.
For freight, the national railways carried 85.38 million tonnes of freight during the festive season. Key international logistics channels, including the China-Europe Rail Link and the New International Land-Sea Trade Route, ensured stable operation, transportation of essential supplies and smooth flow of the international supply chain.
Consumption during the holidays
According to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), during the first four days of the holidays, average daily sales of major retail and restaurant outlets nationwide rose 8.6 percent from the same period last year, with promotions continuing to stimulate the market.
The policy of exchange programmes for consumer goods has had a significant effect. MOFCOM data show that as of February 19, 28.88 million people have benefited from national goods exchange programs, which has boosted sales worth 198.02 billion yuan (approximately US$27.5 billion). Specifically, the automobile exchange program has involved 612,000 vehicles, resulting in new car sales worth 100.53 billion yuan (approximately US$13.96 billion), with green and smart products being particularly popular.
Consumption of services was also high. According to data from the China Film Administration, cinema receipts during the holiday totalled 5.75 billion yuan (US$828.65 million) and the number of visitors reached 120 million.
The highest-grossing film was „Pegasus 3,“ the third installment of director Han Han's racing-comedy series starring actor Shen Teng.
The tourist market, especially inbound tourism, has seen a rapid recovery. Data from major travel platforms show that flight bookings to China around the Chinese New Year period have more than quadrupled year-on-year compared to last year's Spring Festival, underlining China's attractiveness to foreign visitors.
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