Chunyun - Spring Festival Travel Rush in China

See Video of Spring Festival Travel

Chunyun, also known as Chinese New Year Migration, Spring Festival Travel Rush, Chinese New Year Travel Rush, Lunar New Year Travel Rush is the largest human migration on earth happening annually. It usually begins 15 days ahead of the Chinese New Year and 25 days after, lasting for 40 days. The Chunyun 2025 lasts from January 14 to February 22. During the Spring Festival Rush, China, especially its railway system, faces an extremely high traffic load, which results in great difficulties to obtain a ticket, crowded railway stations and train carriages…  

2025 / 2026 / 2027 China Public Holiday Calendar for your reference
 

Millions of people working or studying out of their hometowns will be hurrying home to reunite with families as the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) approaches. This long-held tradition is the main reason for the rush. The other is that the holiday is one of the two week-long holidays of the year, a perfect travel time for many people.
 

Try not to travel by train during the Chinese New Year Festival. If have to, below are some tips for you to avoid troubles:
 

If your China tour is happen to be arranged during the Chinese Lunar New Year, you had better make early plan and contact a travel agency or ticket agency to book ticket for you.

To book the ticket on your own, you have to be in China, know some Chinese, and also have a Chinese bank card that supports online payment if booking through internet. Now a ticket can be bought through internet and telephone, or at stations or some ticket windows in towns and cities 15 days before departure; due to adoption of real-name ticket policy and identity verification, some ticket outlets in downtown are unable to issue tickets for foreign/ Hong Kong/ Macau/ Taiwan passengers. 
 For detailed methods of booking a ticket, read How to Buy Tickets and How to Buy Tickets Online.

During the Spring Festival Rush, there are more chances to get a ticket through internet than purchasing at stations or ticket windows.
 

More Spring Festival Rush Pictures(13)

Travelers are recommended to take high speed trains that are less crowded during the Spring Festival Rush. More standing room tickets on normal trains are sold than on the high speed ones, making their seat class carriages much more crowded.

 See detailed: How to Choose China Train Ticket Types?
 

During the Chinese New Year Travel Rush, the steps of taking a train will take longer time as everywhere of railway stations are crowded with people, so you are advised to get to the station at least 1.5 hours prior to departure. Some stations will set temporary waiting rooms outside of station halls and air-condition and heat are not available, so remember to wear warm clothes as most cities in China are cold during Spring Festival.
 Guide on: How to Take the Train in China
 

Avoid taking heavy luggage as it will be inconvenient for you waiting in lines to enter the station hall, check in, and get onboard. Also, take good care of your luggage when you are in the crowd. You can make a unique mark on your luggage for easy identification. After getting into your carriage, keep your luggage in sight or put it under your lower berth.
 See Luggage Space on China Trains

Hard Seat Carriage Filled with Passengers

Crowded Waiting Hall during Spring Festival Rush

Further Reading

Train Travel in China during Holidays

Passenger Rail Transport in China

China Train Travel - A Beginner’s Guide

8 Facts on China Train Travel