Crowds turned out across China on Thursday to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the country with flag-raising ceremonies in Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao, and a week-long holiday underway.

At Tiananmen Square, more than 100,000 people gathered before dawn to watch the national flag rise and sing the national anthem. The square was dressed with an 18-meter-high flower basket featuring 15 floral designs and five kinds of fruit, reflecting the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). 

In Hong Kong, Chief Executive John Lee and senior officials attended a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai. The Police Band played, a fly-past thundered overhead and a flotilla of disciplined services vessels paraded on the water. Community leaders and uniformed groups joined in.

In Macao, Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, central government officials, the PLA Macao Garrison and members of the local legislature and judiciary attended a flag-raising ceremony.

The celebrations opened the National Day holiday running from October 1 to 7, hot on the heels of Mid-Autumn Festival from September 25 to 27. The two can stretch into a 13-day break by taking additional leave to enjoy trips further afield and slow-paced stays.

Travel demand is off the charts. Tours of 10 days or more made up 26% of bookings and international flight reservations are up by more than 20% on last year, according to Chinese travel platforms. Domestic flights covering over 2,000 km have topped 1.74 million, up 14%, according to flight data platform Umetrip, an official platform for China's civil aviation sector. 

Domestic trips over the holiday are forecast at 2.13 billion, or about 300 million a day — roughly 1.7 times normal levels, according to the Ministry of Transport. October 1 alone could hit a record 340 million, nearly double the usual traffic. Road travel, including self-driving, is expected to account for more than 90% of all trips, helped by free expressway access for vehicles of seven seats or fewer from October 1 to 7.

Railways have ramped up capacity. China Railway Beijing Group expects to carry 22.32 million passenger trips over the 16-day holiday transport period from September 23 to October 8, with October 1 the busiest day at 1.79 million.

The government has also introduced measures to boost tourism spending. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched a nationwide campaign running from late September to the end of October, with local governments planning more than 20,000 events and over 310 million yuan ($45.9 million) in vouchers and subsidies.

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