Baoding (China) (AFP) – Gao Yemiao, a 19-year-old student, is lucky: he got a train ticket at the last minute to return to spend the Chinese New Year celebrations with his family, on the occasion of an annual migration that promises to be record-breaking.

Published on: 02/13/2026 - 6:03 p.m.

Suitcase in hand and winter jacket on his back, the young aspiring sports coach explains that he was not quick enough a few weeks ago to buy a place via the mobile application.

“But I was put on the waiting list and, fortunately, I managed to get a ticket!”, he told AFP at Baoding station, about a hundred kilometers south of Beijing.

His return to the family home represents only a tiny part of the 9.5 billion inter-zone trips (between cities or regions) that the authorities anticipate during the 40 days of the traditional transport peak around the Lunar New Year.

This figure would beat last year's record (9.02 billion).

On Gao Yemiao's agenda: spending time with his family.

"I'm going to help do a big clean-up, set off firecrackers and, as tradition dictates, eat dumplings on the morning of the first day of the year," he explains as he drags his suitcase towards the train bound for his hometown of Langfang.

Dinners and in-laws

The parenthesis will be brief.

Despite nine consecutive public holidays this year – an unprecedented length of time – he is not planning any family trips.

“I have exams and training to prepare for. So my studies come first.”

The authorities presented the exceptional extension of holidays as a way to revive consumption, which has been sluggish in recent years.

For many Chinese, however, the priority will not be to lighten their wallet but to enjoy a few days of relaxation with family before returning to their professional obligations.

Chai Lihong, 47, from Xingtai, also in Hebei, arrived in Baoding on Friday to celebrate the New Year with her daughter, who settled in the city after her marriage.

As tradition dictates, she plans to hang large red vertical stripes decorated with lucky phrases on each side of the door, then share a hearty New Year's Eve dinner with her loved ones.

"Once they celebrate the New Year with me, my daughter and her family will also have to go to her husband's town to see her in-laws," says Ms. Chai.

“After that, we will already be on the fifth day of the year, and in China that already means the gradual return to work,” she emphasizes.

“Get rich”

For Hua Lei, 34, an online retail employee in Beijing, the festival above all offers an opportunity to take a break from daily stress.

His hometown of Anguo is located 190 kilometers south of the Chinese capital. Getting there during the big departures period is a challenge.

“There are TGVs” that make the connection “but I generally can’t get a ticket,” explains Hua Lei after taking a conventional, much slower train to Baoding.

She is going to drive the rest of the way.

Like other travelers interviewed at Baoding station, Hua Lei does not plan to go sightseeing during the holidays. Even though many of his friends have planned trips.

She also does not anticipate major expenses.

“I prefer to stay at home,” she says, saying she wants to enjoy her family.

His wishes for the Year of the Horse?

“I would like to become rich and have everything work out in my life, and then stay healthy!”

© 2026 AFP

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