As the traditional Chinese lunar new year approaches in a few days, the usual peak of the “Spring Festival travel rush” is surprisingly quiet this year. Markets where people usually rush to buy Lunar New Year goods are deserted. The economic downturn has left people hesitant to spend money or even without the means to do so. Many Chinese citizens are predicting that this year will be the quietest New Year in Chinese history.
In 2025, the Spring Festival travel rush in China started on January 1 and will last until February 22, spanning a total of 40 days. According to state media in China, it is estimated that the total inter-regional population flow across the country will reach 9 billion, an increase of about 7% compared to the 2024 Spring Festival travel rush. However, reports from Chinese state media and videos shared by mainland netizens on social media platforms show that the bustling scenes of train stations and bus terminals in major cities during previous Spring Festival travel rushes are no longer present.
On January 14, the first day of the Spring Festival travel rush, the waiting hall of the Jiujiang train station was no longer crowded, with some even describing it as quiet. There was a stark absence of the usual bustling crowds of travelers, and the typical hustle and bustle of the Spring Festival travel season was nowhere to be found.
Reports indicate that even high-speed trains have become less popular this year. Many citizens prefer to spend more time on regular (green-skinned) trains rather than opting for high-speed trains. It was reported that a trip from Hangzhou to Harbin or Xi’an on a regular train costs only 200 yuan, while choosing the high-speed train means no direct route from Hangzhou to Harbin, requiring a transfer, wasting time, and being four times more expensive than a plane ticket. Consequently, more and more citizens are reverting back to taking regular trains.
A netizen in Guangzhou commented on social media that on the first day of the 2025 Spring Festival travel rush, the once bustling Guangzhou train station appeared somewhat deserted, a stark contrast to the overcrowded scenes from 20 years ago. The absence of the usual crowded scenes and the scarcity of available tickets mark the end of an era where getting a ticket was a challenge. As Guangzhou Baiyun Station is the largest train station in Asia, the passenger flow on the first day of the Spring Festival was not even one-tenth of that at Guangzhou South Station. Where have all the people gone?
A netizen from Chongqing shared a video on the highway, showing empty service areas with not a single car or person in sight. In previous years during the Spring Festival travel rush, there would usually be many cars on the highway, but now in such large service areas, you can’t even spot a single car. With the approaching new year, why aren’t these people returning home?
Another netizen from Shanghai mentioned on the 16th that the current situation at Shanghai train stations is desolate, lacking the familiar scenes of long queues for ticket purchases during the Spring Festival rush. Whether it’s outdoor waiting areas or ticket counters, there are few people around. Although temporary tents have been set up in the square, there is hardly anyone inside. The bustling scene at Shanghai South Station’s North Square during past Spring Festivals is nowhere to be found; where have all the people gone?
On January 17, a netizen shared a video showing empty high-speed train carriages, commenting: “This is the Spring Festival travel rush this year. Where have all the people gone? I’m the only one in this entire high-speed train carriage going home; it’s absurd! I’ve been alive for 25 years and have never witnessed such a scene in 24 years.”
Huang Xin (pseudonym), a senior executive at a Shanghai internet company, commented to a reporter, “The current economic environment in China is relatively poor. Many factories in places like Dongguan and Suzhou, which used to have a large number of foreign companies, now have seen a mass exodus and closures. Many small and medium-sized enterprises and factories have also shut down. The unemployed workers had already returned to their hometowns before the Spring Festival rush, making it difficult to see the bustling scenes of past years.”
He added, “Although the traditional trains (green-skinned trains) have fewer services and slower speeds, the ticket prices are cheaper, so most people prefer not to take the high-speed trains. Observing that people are avoiding high-speed trains, scalpers started spreading false information on platforms, claiming ticket scarcity, leading some individuals to purchase high-speed train tickets and find empty carriages, feeling completely deceived. There are videos of this circulating online.”
Moreover, many migrant workers choose not to return home for the new year.
Wang Kai (pseudonym) from Anhui told a reporter, “Previously, working in Shenzhen could earn you money, after a busy year, one would eagerly want to reunite with family. However, now, after toiling all year, with little to no earnings, everyone is grabbing even jobs that pay a few cents an hour. Eating and renting have become issues; there is no money to return home for the new year. It’s better to send money home for them to celebrate properly. Besides, with only a 7-day holiday and considering the travel time, there isn’t much time to spend at home. Therefore, many of us here haven’t returned.”
Not only has the peak of the Spring Festival travel rush disappeared, but the Lunar New Year market is also in desolation. Streets in urban areas are sparsely populated, and shopping malls and wholesale fruit markets are eerily empty, devoid of the usual festive atmosphere.
One online video from the Shanghai metropolitan fruit wholesale market depicted a scene with no customers buying fruits. “Just take a look, there’s no one here, not a single person, not even a load of goods. It’s desolate, where has everyone gone?”
In Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, a netizen recorded a video at Guangxiang Market, saying, “Usually at this time, there’s goods stacked everywhere. But now, there’s nothing, not a single vehicle, not a single piece of merchandise.”
1912 Daxidi in Hefei, Anhui, is a well-known commercial area. A netizen from Hefei mentioned, “Two or three years ago, 70% of shops in Daxidi were vibrant, with many influencers visiting for photos. However, now, 70% of stores have shut down, the commercial atmosphere is gloomy, and the entire street is deserted, with hardly anyone around.”
A resident in Shenyang named Liu Qing told a reporter, “On the 20th, I went to our local wholesale market to buy Lunar New Year goods. In previous years, the place would be teeming with people, all moving forward, tightly packed next to each other, whether on stairs or elevators, it was an overcrowded scene, and as soon as you picked something up, you paid for it. This year, there aren’t as many people, not the usual crowds, so you can wander freely. Each shop is fully stocked, and the owners are anxiously standing outside their counters, calling out to customers. There aren’t many purchasers; instead, there are more window-shoppers, with many of them being students.”
Liu Qing further noted, “After three years since the end of the pandemic, the number of people has decreased significantly. There aren’t as many people playing cards or chess in the park during the day or strolling around at night, and even fewer people doing square dancing. Each time you go to a store, there are more staff than customers. With this trend continuing, when will the market economy prosper again? I’m somewhat apprehensive about the prospects.”
Many Chinese citizens have taken to social media to express that the festive atmosphere is gone, and China is heading towards the quietest New Year in its history this year.