China before the Spring Festival: Homecoming crowds surge, and the festive atmosphere permeates both urban and rural areas
The noisy cries of vendors in various cities are intertwined with the announcements at train stations, and China has entered the busiest and warmest time of the year. A migration and gathering of the New Year's flavor from north to south and from city to town is taking place.
The Spring Festival of 2026 is approaching, and Lichuan in Hubei Province is already filled with red lanterns hanging high, spring couplets and window decorations. The intangible cultural heritage market showcases the unique festival traditions of the Tujia ethnic group. This has become a microcosm of China before the Spring Festival.
Looking across the country, the Spring Festival travel rush has officially begun, with hundreds of millions of people embarking on the journey back home; Supermarkets across the country offer a wide variety of New Year's goods, and the issuance of consumer vouchers activates the holiday market.
Spring Festival travel rush curtain
The Spring Festival in 2026 is slightly later than usual, but the enthusiasm for returning home has been ignited earlier. On February 2nd, the national Spring Festival travel rush officially began and will last until March 13th, for a total of 40 days.
According to preliminary predictions, the number of cross regional personnel movements across the country during this year's Spring Festival travel rush is expected to reach about 9 billion, setting a new historical high. Behind this huge number is the hope of millions of families for reunion.
Major railway stations, airports, and passenger stations have ushered in the first wave of peak passenger flow. At Beijing West Railway Station, the waiting hall is crowded with people, and many passengers arrive several hours early to wait.
They carried heavy New Year's goods on their shoulders, pulled suitcases in their hands, and had eager and expectant expressions on their faces.
At the Hongqiao hub in Shanghai, train schedules are densely displayed on electronic screens, and train information and warm reminders are constantly played in broadcasts.
People shuttle around the station with their luggage, searching for their waiting areas. On the high-speed railway platform, rows of "Fuxing" high-speed trains are neatly arranged to welcome departing passengers.
New Year shopping
The place with the strongest New Year flavor is undoubtedly the New Year's markets in various regions. Before the Spring Festival, supermarkets and markets across China were dressed in festive attire, with red becoming the mainstream color.
Nationwide, a "TESCO Group New Year" special event was held from February 15 to 23. Local governments and businesses have launched a variety of promotional activities, covering six major areas: food, accommodation, transportation, travel, shopping, and entertainment.
On the supermarket shelves, various New Year gift boxes and specialty foods are dazzling, ranging from traditional melon seed candies to new healthy snacks.
In Quanzhou, Fujian, a series of "Intangible Cultural Heritage Year" activities attracted many citizens to participate. Local traditional handicrafts such as puppets and lacquer thread carvings have become popular New Year's goods, preserving cultural traditions and adding a festive atmosphere.
Major e-commerce platforms have also joined the battle of New Year's goods promotion, launching a special "New Year's Goods Festival" to facilitate people who cannot return home to send their hearts back to their hometown through online shopping.
The online and offline New Year's goods markets together constitute a unique consumption landscape in China before the Spring Festival, and the issuance of consumption vouchers further stimulates people's shopping enthusiasm.
New Trend in Tourism
Before this year's Spring Festival, the tourism market showed some new characteristics. Unlike previous years, more and more families are choosing to travel during off peak periods before the Spring Festival, avoiding the peak flow of people and price increases during the Golden Week.
Many northern regions are experiencing a skiing craze. With the continued effect of the Winter Olympics, ice and snow tourism has become a popular choice in winter. Ski resorts in Jilin, Heilongjiang, Xinjiang and other places have welcomed a large number of tourists.
At the same time, warm coastal cities in the south such as Sanya and Xiamen have also become popular destinations for pre holiday tourism. Many families choose to take their elderly and children to warm places for vacation before the Spring Festival, and then return home for the holiday.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism predicts that cultural and tourism activities will be more abundant during this year's Spring Festival. Approximately 30000 cultural and tourism events are expected to be held nationwide, lasting from the end of January to early March, forming the 'Spring Festival Cultural and Tourism Consumption Month'.
Cultural Roots Seeking
In the minds of Chinese people, the Spring Festival is not only a time for family reunion, but also an opportunity for cultural roots. The "Our Festival · Spring Festival" event in Lichuan, Hubei is a microcosm.
This activity was launched on February 10th (the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month) with the theme of "Singing Dragon Boat Tune Together and Celebrating Chinese New Year". The event site was decorated with Tujia ethnic characteristics, and traditional handicrafts were displayed in the non heritage market.
Similar scenes are being staged across the country. People from different regions welcome the arrival of the Spring Festival in their own ways, but what is common is the appreciation and inheritance of traditional culture.
For many young people working hard in cities, the Spring Festival is a valuable opportunity to reconnect with their hometown culture. They brought back new ideas and rediscovered the charm of traditional culture.
Urban rural linkage
Before the Spring Festival in China, there was a close linkage between urban and rural areas. Cities provide technology, ideas, and markets for rural areas, while rural areas transport labor, agricultural products, and cultural resources to cities.
Driven by digital technology, the boundaries between urban and rural areas have become blurred. Urban residents purchase rural specialties through online platforms, while rural residents sell agricultural products to various parts of the country through e-commerce.
During the Spring Festival, there is more frequent interaction between urban and rural areas. Many young people who work in cities return to their hometowns and share the knowledge and experience they have learned in the city to help improve rural life.
In some regions, there has even been a new trend of "urban-rural New Year's goods exchange" - urban residents purchase rural specialties, while rural residents purchase modern products produced in the city, forming a complementary consumption pattern.
Flowers in Guangzhou flower market compete for beauty, Tomatoes on sticks in Beijing temple fair string sweet memories, and the light show on the Bund of Shanghai lights up both sides of the Huangpu River. From south to north, the landmark buildings of major cities in China light up in Chinese red, complementing the red lanterns and couplets on the streets and alleys.
On the Spring Festival travel rush train, someone leaned against the window to admire the scenery and stepped back, holding tightly the gift for their family; In the New Year's market, the elderly carefully select every ingredient and prepare a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.
Disclaimer: The information published on this website comes from the internet, which does not mean that this website agrees with its views or confirms the authenticity of the content. Please pay attention to distinguish it. In addition, the products provided by our company are only used for scientific research. We are not responsible for the consequences of any improper use. If you are interested in our products, or have critical suggestions on our articles or are not completely satisfied with the products received, Please also contact us via Email ：sales1@faithfulbio.com ; Our team is committed to ensuring the complete satisfaction of customers.
