Chinese New Year travel soars as holiday kicks off

A surge in enthusiasm for travel is sweeping China and this trend was highlighted on January 28, the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday.

Notably, this year marks the first Spring Festival following its successful World Heritage inscription and the first under the newly extended eight-day statutory holiday that began on Chinese New Year’s Eve. This shift has significantly boosted tourism and cultural consumption on New Year’s Eve itself.

Many families are now choosing to visit attractions together after their reunion dinner, making it a new way to stay up late and welcome in the New Year. On Tongcheng, one of China’s major travel platforms, bookings for New Year’s Eve tours have more than doubled year-on-year. Popular search terms on the first day of the holiday include temple fairs, lantern festivals, shadow puppetry, and flower shows.