China’s 2025 Spring Festival holiday has shattered records in travel, leisure, dining, and consumption, marking a robust start to the nation’s economy this year. This celebration is the first since the Spring Festival was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list late last year.
Over the extended eight-day holiday from January 28 to February 4, the Chinese mainland witnessed an unprecedented movement of people. According to the Ministry of Transport, more than 2.3 billion cross-regional trips were made, with the final day of the holiday seeing peak return passenger traffic. On Monday, the China State Railway Group reported transporting 16.45 million passengers—the highest single-day passenger traffic in the festival’s history.
International travel also surged, with 14.36 million cross-border trips recorded, up 6.3 percent from the previous year. Foreign travelers made 958,000 trips during the holiday, a 22.9 percent increase, as relaxed visa norms and increased connectivity took effect, according to the National Immigration Administration.
To meet the soaring demand, transportation authorities expanded capacities. In the Yangtze River Delta region, railway departments added up to 392 extra direct passenger trains and 195 in-line passenger trains on the holiday’s final day. Beijing extended subway operating hours, while taxi and ride-hailing services boosted nighttime availability to accommodate late-night and early-morning travelers.
The leisure sector also thrived. China’s film industry set new records, with box office collections reaching an all-time high of 9.51 billion yuan ($1.33 billion), driven by an unprecedented 187 million movie-goers, according to the China National Film Administration. The blockbuster Ne Zha 2 topped the charts, grossing an impressive 4.94 billion yuan. Other popular films included Detective Chinatown 1900, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, and Operation Hadal.
Tourism destinations across the country saw a significant influx of visitors. In the north, Altay Prefecture in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region welcomed 191,000 visitors in the first four days of the holiday. Meanwhile, Yangshuo County in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region hosted 410,600 tourists in just the first three days, generating 589 million yuan in tourism revenue. Additionally, China’s science and technology museums received over 3 million visitors during the holiday.
Consumption patterns reflected the festive spirit, with notable growth in online transactions and dining. The People’s Bank of China reported that China UnionPay and NetsUnion Clearing Corporation processed a total of 22.08 billion transactions amounting to 8.52 trillion yuan, up 25.7 percent and 17.1 percent respectively. Food ordering and e-commerce platform Meituan noted a 17 percent increase in customer flow in national business districts compared to last year, with in-store dining growing by 18.7 percent.
The record-breaking figures from the Spring Festival highlight the effectiveness of measures taken by authorities and service providers to offer diverse options for consumers. The robust performance sets a positive tone for China’s economy in the year ahead.
