China's Spring Festival, the most treasured traditional holiday, is a time for family reunions, cultural celebrations, and a significant boost to the economy. This year, with the Chinese government officially designating New Year's Eve as a statutory holiday, the Spring Festival holiday has been extended to eight days, creating even greater opportunities for businesses and tourism to flourish.

Extended Holiday Sparks Tourism Surge

The eight-day holiday has ignited a surge in travel enthusiasm across the country. According to the Ministry of Transport, this year's Spring Festival travel rush is expected to break records, with cross-regional travel projected to reach 9 billion trips over the 40-day period. Many Chinese citizens are combining family reunions with travel, taking advantage of the extended break to explore both domestic and international destinations.

Fang Ying, a resident of Lanzhou City in Gansu Province, shared her plans: "The longer holiday allows me to spend time with my family and then head to Japan for a skiing trip." This sentiment is echoed by many, as flight booking data from Qunar, a leading Chinese online travel agency, shows a 50% increase in travelers purchasing multiple tickets compared to last year.

Cultural Celebrations Draw Crowds

Following the Spring Festival's recent inclusion in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, destinations with unique traditional cultural activities are attracting growing numbers of visitors. Iconic events such as Quanzhou's puppet shows, Shantou's Yingge dance, and the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival in Shanghai have become must-see attractions for both locals and tourists.

Outbound Tourism Hits New Highs

Outbound tourism has also seen a significant rise. Qunar reports that Chinese tourists have visited over 2,100 cities worldwide, marking a 50% increase from last year. Popular destinations include Japan, Thailand, the U.S., Singapore, Australia, and Vietnam. Ctrip, another major online travel agency, notes a 30% increase in cross-border travel orders on the first day of the holiday.

International Visitors Join the Festivities

Thanks to relaxed visa policies, such as the "240-hour visa-free transit" rule, more international tourists are choosing to experience the Spring Festival in China. Ctrip's data reveals a remarkable 203% year-on-year increase in inbound travel orders, with visitors arriving from countries like South Korea, Japan, the U.S., Australia, and the UK.

To enhance the experience for international visitors, many attractions have introduced special Spring Festival activities. For example, Chengdu's Wuhou Temple hosted a festive "Little Fortune God" event, where six foreign children were selected to play the symbolic role, believed to bring good fortune for the year ahead.

A Singaporean tourist shared her experience with the China Media Group: "I heard the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival is a must-see in Shanghai, and it truly lives up to its reputation." This was her first trip to China, and she has already enjoyed local delicacies like "da bing" (Chinese pancake), "you tiao" (fried dough sticks), "cifan" (glutinous rice rolls), and "dou jiang" (soy milk) in other cities.

To further ease travel for international visitors, apps like Baidu Maps have launched English versions, offering detailed information on over 1.5 million points of interest, from restaurants to shopping centers, helping to bridge language barriers.

Spring Festival Film Frenzy

While many are traveling, others are enjoying China's exciting Spring Festival film lineup. This year's offerings include highly anticipated blockbusters such as "Ne Zha 2," "Detective Chinatown 1900," "Creation of the Gods II," "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," "Operation Hadal," and "Boonie Bears." These films span genres like animation, mythology, martial arts, suspense, and action.

On the first day of the Chinese New Year (January 29), box office revenue hit a record-breaking 1.806 billion yuan (approximately $251 million), surpassing the 2021 record of 1.693 billion yuan. By January 31, total box office earnings, including pre-sales, had already exceeded 4 billion yuan, with "Ne Zha 2" leading at 1.3 billion yuan.

The success of these films highlights the growing popularity of domestic intellectual properties (IPs), signaling a bright future for the Chinese film industry. Analysts believe this trend will continue to drive the creation of innovative works, further establishing Chinese film IPs as influential global brands.

 (Image credit: GMK Centre)