The bustling crowds signal vitality; the surge in consumption demonstrates robust economic foundations. During the nine-day Spring Festival holiday of the Year of the Dragon, a staggering 2.808 billion passenger trips were made across regions, painting a grand picture of a mobile China. Retail, catering, cultural tourism, travel, film, and entertainment sectors all saw significant growth, composing a vibrant symphony of consumption recovery. These impressive figures and lively scenes reflect not only the strong festive atmosphere but also the steady progress and quality improvement of the Chinese economy, laying a solid foundation for a strong economic start and sustained growth throughout the year.
The revitalized flow across China indicates smoother economic circulation. The Spring Festival travel season has always been a prime window for observing China's economy. Railway freight volume reached 65.687 million tons, while postal and courier services handled over 1.4 billion parcels. The simultaneous movement of people and goods weaves an efficiently operating economic network. Evolving from traditional family reunions to two-way mobility and from conventional travel to "reverse migration" for the holidays, with night trains shuttling nonstop and自驾车流 stretching for miles, the transportation system demonstrated high efficiency and considerate service, upgrading travel from mere feasibility to comfort and satisfaction. With 17.796 million cross-border trips and visa-free access expanded to 50 countries, China's openness continues to generate vitality. The seamless movement of people, smooth flow of goods, and interconnected business and travel activities underscore precise national policies, significantly enhanced comprehensive support capabilities, and serve as powerful evidence of China's unimpeded economic circulation and dynamic energy.
Consumption is evolving with new momentum, tapping deeper into market potential. Spring Festival spending is no longer just about simple purchases but is rapidly upgrading towards quality, personalization, and experiential activities. Sales at major retail and catering enterprises nationwide increased by 8.6% year-on-year, while orders for reunion dinner sets surged by 210%, indicating strong domestic demand amidst the lively festive atmosphere. Family trips and multi-person vacation bookings saw substantial growth, while AI travel planning and smart robotics products gained significant popularity. New consumption trends, scenarios, and activities continuously emerged, igniting enthusiasm among younger consumers. Local governments distributed over 360 million yuan in cultural tourism consumption subsidies, and bookings for new energy vehicles surged, demonstrating a synergy between policy guidance and market innovation, and a mutual reinforcement of supply and demand. The shift from goods to services consumption, and from traditional to new consumption patterns, is clearly visible, highlighting the vast potential and strong resilience of China's mega-sized market.
The integration of culture and tourism has created new opportunities, with cultural empowerment adding vitality. This Spring Festival, "cultural celebration" became the trendiest fashion, injecting lasting soul into consumption growth. Searches for lantern festivals, temple fairs, and intangible cultural heritage experiences doubled. Zigong lanterns, She County fish lanterns, and Yingge dances dominated social media, while live performances and immersive experiences brought traditional culture to life. Tourist numbers and tourism revenue in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong hit record highs. County and rural tourism gained popularity, as deep integration of culture and tourism spawned new formats and hotspots. Regions like Jilin promoted the "film + tourism" linkage, activating new momentum for ice and snow tourism. The national Spring Festival box office reached 5.752 billion yuan, with 120 million cinema visits, showing sustained enthusiasm for cultural and spiritual consumption. The fusion of traditional customs with modern life, and the transformation of cultural confidence into consumption fervor, not only boosted the holiday economy but also activated new engines for development, adding both warmth and substance to the Chinese economy.
Strong coordinated support underpins steady progress with confidence. Behind the robust consumption lies a systematic effort involving precise national policies, meticulous local arrangements, and continuously optimized services. From smoothing transportation networks and streamlining customs procedures to distributing consumption subsidies and improving service quality, from ensuring market supply and creating a secure environment to encouraging business innovation and stimulating market vitality, each step is closely interconnected. Policies were implemented proactively, services were accurately delivered, economic actors took initiative, and the public participated enthusiastically, converging into a powerful force driving economic development. The warmth of family reunions under countless lights and the bustling activity in streets and alleys fundamentally reflect China's economic governance capability, comprehensive strength, and development potential.
With the spring tide rising and favorable winds blowing, it is time to set sail and advance vigorously. The strong Spring Festival start reflects a powerful development momentum. The vitality of mobility, the energy of consumption, the drive for innovation, and the strength of coordination collectively form a mighty current propelling the Chinese economy forward. The vibrant Spring Festival consumption is not a short-lived "holiday effect" but a clear signal of long-term positive trends; it is not an isolated market phenomenon but a firm step towards high-quality development.
The beginning impacts the whole journey; the start determines the subsequent course. Riding the powerful spring breeze, leveraging the advantage of a mega-sized market, continuously stimulating consumption potential, deepening innovation-driven development, and strengthening coordinated efforts, the Chinese economy is poised to maintain its steady and positive trajectory. In the new year, it will accelerate its pace, reach new heights, and write a new chapter of high-quality development with even greater vitality and vigor.