China's 2026 Spring Festival travel rush kicked off on Monday with an estimated 187.91 million cross-regional trips, a 13-percent year-on-year increase, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Specifically, the railway passenger flow was estimated at 12 million, the road passenger flow at 173.12 million, the waterway passenger flow at 600,000, and the civil aviation passenger flow at 2.19 million. The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Februrary 17 this year. The official holiday for this year's Spring Festival lasts nine days, with the travel rush running through until March 13.