Destinations known | China expects 9 billion domestic trips over Lunar New Year holiday. Indonesia could use some of those travelling Chinese, with its underused roads and airports

Lunar New Year is a time for families to gather in China and it seems the whole country will be on the move, in the type of migration Indonesia needs

Meanwhile, the maiden voyage of Icon of the Seas, the world’s biggest cruise ship, signals buoyant times for an industry that’s drawing more young customers

Reading Time:4 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Passengers queue to board a train in Nanjing, in Jiangsu province, China, on January 25. Lunar New Year in China means getting together with family, and with 9 billion domestic trips expected, it seems everyone in the nation will be on the go during the holiday. Photo: Getty Images

Mark Footer

Published: 7:45am, 1 Feb 2024Updated: 8:01am, 1 Feb 2024

If we had a dollar for every domestic trip taken in mainland China during the Lunar New Year holiday period, we’d have a tidy 9 billion bucks.

The Great Human Migration is under way, as families reunite to welcome in the Year of the Dragon.

“A record high 9 billion trips are expected to be made within China during the annual 40-day chun yun travel period, the Ministry of Transport said […] with family reunions, sightseeing and leisure activities on the agenda,” reports the South China Morning Post.

Nine billion!

Tourists take part in a rabbit dance at the 40th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China. Harbin is a popular destination for domestic tourists this year. Photo: Getty Images

“That would be nearly double the 4.7 billion trips made during the so-called Spring Festival travel rush in 2023 when ultra-strict Covid-19 restrictions were abolished,” says Reuters.

China Central Television reckons that about 80 per cent of those trips will be taken by car, with 480 million journeys by train and 80 million by plane.