Mid-Autumn Festival 2024: China's celebration of travel, cinema and evolving consumer trends

China's tourism, film and consumer goods markets have demonstrated significant economic vitality throughout the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday (September 15-17). 

The positive momentum is expected to continue as the country ushers in the National Day "golden week" in two more weeks.

On the second day of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday on Monday (September 16), the volume of cross-regional people movement reached nearly 200 million trips, according to data from the Ministry of Transport, as reported by China Central Television.

Single-day railway passenger volume was approximately 11.8 million, with an additional 604 passenger trains put into service. On China's roads, over 180 million trips were made, mainly consisting of short- to medium-distance self-driving journeys, with new energy vehicles accounting for nearly 60 percent of the travel. In aviation, there were 13,781 flights across the country, with passenger volume reaching 1.55 million.

Previously, on the first day of the festival on Sunday (September 15), total cross-regional people movement amounted to 215.92 million trips, a 37.9 percent increase from the same period in 2023, and a 13.3 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Sales of National Day train tickets begin

Since Tuesday morning, train tickets for the 2024 National Day holiday have officially been on sale. This year, the National Day "golden week" will see a blend of tourism, family visits and student travel, with railway passenger traffic expected to remain high, according to relevant authorities.

Mid-Autumn Festival holiday box office movies show vitality

According to data from Maoyan Professional Edition, by 11:44 a.m. on September 17, the total box office movies for the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival period (September 15-17) exceeded 300 million yuan. 

"Wild Child," "An Embarrassing Moment" and "Determination to Leave" topped the box office charts for the period.

Notable Mid-Autumn consumption trends

This year, consumers have shown an increased demand for gifts that merge health, culture and emotion, making health products the top choice for gifting. 

Data from various consumption platforms indicate that "traditional Chinese culture" consumption has become a trend during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival.

In addition to traditional popular gifts such as mooncakes and hairy crabs, fruits have also reached peak sales due to the festival. 

The price index for fruits at the Nandabao Market, monitored by the National Development and Reform Commission, recorded a reading of 116.52 points during the period from August 31 to September 6, representing a 4.63 percent increase from the previous period and a 24.13 percent increase compared to the same period last year.