In recent years, a growing number of people who work in major Chinese cities are forgoing the journey home. Instead, their parents are coming to them, a trend called "reverse Spring Festival travel".

According to a survey by the China Youth Daily, of the nearly two thousand respondents, more than forty percent have asked their parents to come to their cities. Nearly thirty percent don't plan to do so.  Among the reasons, sixty percent think it can provide traveling opportunities for their parents to see other cities. More than half think it will save them the trouble of the arduous journey home. And more than forty percent regard it as a good opportunity for their parents to better know about their lives in big cities. Other reasons include avoiding visiting relatives, afraid of being asked about personal issues, and avoiding quarrels between a couple about whose home to visit.