BEIJING: With the departure of “green-coated” regular-speed passenger train K4069 from Beijing West Railway Station for Nanchang in East China’s Jiangxi Province at 12:40 am on Monday, China’s 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, officially started, during which a record 9.5 billion passenger trips are estimated to be made in the 40-day festivities. Railway stations and airports across the country have sprung to life, with travelers carrying gift-laden bags setting off on homebound journeys, their faces alight with anticipation and festive joy.
Often described as the largest annual human migration on the planet, chunyun is not only a reflection of China’s transportation capacity and technological progress, but also a window to observe the world’s second-largest economy in multiple dimensions from consumption vitality to sociocultural trends.
President Xi Jinping said in his 2026 New Year message, “Let us charge ahead like horses with courage, vitality, and energy, fight for our dreams and our happiness, and turn our great vision into beautiful realities,” Xinhua News Agency reported.
This year’s Spring Festival holidays last nine days, longer than previously, while the Year of the Horse also carries positive meanings such as vitality, strength and success, which mean family reunions, active travels and holiday consumption, and culturally, a good start to the new year.
In the early hours of Monday, Global Times reporters observed at Beijing West Railway Station that hundreds of travelers were lining up in an orderly manner in the waiting hall under the guidance of railway staff. While waiting to board, passengers were pleasantly surprised as railway workers handed out small horse-themed plush toys and other gifts.
Train K4069, as it departed, was decorated with traditional Year of the Horse paper-cuts and cartoon-themed stickers displayed in one of the coaches, adding warmth and festive cheer to the homecoming journey.
A home decoration worker surnamed Li, who comes from Central China’s Henan Province, told the Global Times that his backpack was filled with daily necessities and gifts for his family.
With two children aged 13 and 9 studying in his hometown in Henan and eagerly awaiting his return, Li said he bought Beijing-style yogurt, a local specialty, to share with his family.
The Global Times learned that the crew has received special training to better serve the chunyun train. Given that the route of K4069 passes major transfer hubs such as Hengshui, Fuyang and Jiujiang, crew members familiarized themselves in advance with the most convenient transfer routes and proactively guided passengers to minimize transfer times. Mobile service desks were set up in the carriages to handle inquiries, with first-aid kits and portable power banks available, while a dedicated volunteer service post was arranged to offer full assistance to the elderly, minor, sick, disabled, pregnant and passengers in need. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
