China Handles 80 Million Railway, 6 Million Cross-Border Trips During Dragon Boat Festival

China is anticipating a substantial surge in travel during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, with the national railway operator forecasting around 80.5 million passenger trips over the five-day period, peaking at 18.3 million on the holiday's first day. Cross-border travel is also expected to rise significantly, with the National Immigration Administration predicting an average of 2.15 million daily border crossings, marking a 12.2% increase from the previous year and exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Major international airports such as Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun, and Beijing Capital are projected to experience heavy traffic, while Hong Kong anticipates about 3.2 million cross-border trips, largely through land checkpoints connecting to Macau and Shenzhen. To accommodate this travel boom, authorities have increased railway capacity, improved service quality, and urged border officials to ensure efficient processing to keep wait times under 30 minutes. The festivities, which include traditional dragon boat races, are expected to further boost travel volumes across Chinese provinces. These measures reflect a sustained recovery in China's post-pandemic travel demand both domestically and internationally.