China’s ‘Chunyun’ Journey: 5.08 Billion Homebound Trips in 20 Days, the World’s Largest Human Migration

Beijing, China: China’s annual Spring Festival travel rush has already surpassed 5 billion passenger trips even before reaching its halfway mark. According to information provided by the Ministry of Transport on Sunday, a total of 5.08 billion inter-regional passenger trips were made in the past 20 days.

Within this massive number, the majority of travelers, 4.76 billion, used roadways. The ministry stated that 258 million passengers completed their journeys by railway. Similarly, statistics released show that 19.99 million passengers traveled via waterways and 47.52 million by air reached their destinations.

This annual travel surge, occurring during the Chinese New Year period, is known as ‘Chunyun’ and is often referred to as the world’s largest human migration. This year’s Chunyun will last for 40 days, from February 2 to March 13. According to preliminary estimates, a total of 9.5 billion inter-regional trips are projected during this 40-day period.

In the world’s most populous nation, this rush of people returning home to celebrate the New Year with their families highlights the vast scale of China’s transportation system and its management capabilities.