On Oct. 1, following the opening of the Xi'an-Ankang high-speed railway, they took a direct high-speed train from Ankang to Yan'an, a city known for its revolutionary history.

The journey, which used to take more than seven hours, now takes just over two hours.

The Zhang family was among millions on the move during the National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7, one of China's peak periods for travel and spending.

Data from the Ministry of Transport showed cross-regional passenger trips exceeded 300 million on each of the first three days of the holiday. China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said the country's railways handled over 25.2 million passenger trips on Oct. 1, setting a new single-day record.

For a country as vast as China, moving hundreds of millions of people during a holiday rush is a feat of scale. Behind this feat lies a transport network built up over decades.

By the end of 2025, China's comprehensive transport network spanned more than 6 million km, including the world's largest high-speed rail network. High-speed railways, expressways, airports and ports connect cities, towns and rural areas across the country.

The network is continuing to expand. On Sept. 28, China opened four major high-speed railway sections across northern, northwestern, central and northeastern China, with a combined length of more than 1,100 km. The new lines further shorten travel times and put more destinations within easy reach of families like Zhang's.

China's transport development goes beyond faster journeys. Better supporting services are also making travel more convenient.

New energy vehicles (NEVs) have become increasingly common among Chinese households and are now a popular choice for long-distance travel. The Ministry of Transport expects NEV trips on expressways during the holiday to reach 1.8 times the usual level, pushing up demand for charging services.

China's extensive charging infrastructure is helping to meet growing demand. The country now has more than 24 million EV charging facilities, forming the world's largest EV charging network. Highway service areas have about 89,000 charging facilities in total, covering virtually all service areas.

To handle the holiday peak, mobile emergency chargers have been added at key service areas, while drivers are encouraged to leave after charging their batteries to 80 percent to improve charging turnover.

Faster connections and more convenient services are making it easier for travelers to visit more destinations in a single trip. Data from online travel platform Qunar showed that nearly 30 percent of travelers had booked hotels in at least two cities, while bookings involving stays in four or more cities surged 53 percent year on year.

The trend extends beyond China's borders. China's expanding transport links are supporting a rise in cross-border travel, with Chinese airlines operating regular international passenger routes connecting 177 cities in 80 countries.

For outbound travel, Qunar data showed that hotel bookings for multi-country trips more than doubled year on year during the holiday. Inbound tourism also recorded double-digit growth, according to Trip.com Group, with day-tour bookings up more than fourfold and train ticket bookings up more than 170 percent year on year during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day breaks.

The transport network that carries millions of travelers is also keeping goods moving, linking businesses and markets and sustaining economic activity across the country.

Even during the holiday, the Liujing operating area of Nanning Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region bustles with activity, as ship horns sound and workers load and unload goods.

The increase in cargo traffic is closely linked to the opening of the Pinglu Canal. Stretching 134.2 km from Hengzhou in Guangxi to the Beibu Gulf, the canal opened to navigation on Sept. 16, providing a shorter river-sea route for cargo from southwest China to international markets.

Bulk cargo, including construction materials, auto parts and grain, is being shipped from Nanning Port via the Pinglu Canal to the Beibu Gulf for export. On average, the route now handles an additional 20,000 tonnes of cargo per day.

"We expect to transport 200,000 tonnes of cargo during the National Day holiday," said You Tong, deputy manager of the production operations center at Nanning Port Development and Investment Co., Ltd.

You said the port has optimized operations and maintained round-the-clock staffing to keep cargo moving smoothly during the holiday surge.

Republished from Xinhua