With highways jammed, trains packed, and heavy rain warnings complicating journeys, China is bracing for one of its busiest travel days of the year as millions head home at the end of the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. 

The Ministry of Transport expects a record 2.4 billion trips — an average of 304 million per day — between Oct. 1 and 8, up 6.2% from last year. Self-driving remains the dominant choice, with road traffic alone expected to reach 285 million trips on Tuesday, up 20% year-on-year.

China’s rail network is expected to handle about 153 million passengers, up 2.6% from last year, and air travel is expected to see more than 19 million passengers. 

At the same time, the China Meteorological Administration warned of heavy rain over the next two days across nine provinces including Beijing and the southwestern Sichuan province. Parts of northern and northeastern China are expected to see temperature drops of over 10 degrees Celsius, with forecasters cautioning that poor visibility and slippery roads could increase the risk of accidents.

Authorities have rolled out measures nationwide to ease congestion and manage the return rush. In the eastern Anhui province, the country’s largest toll gate, Wuzhuang Toll Station, opened all 36 lanes to traffic, while transport officials used real-time monitoring to predict peak hours and adjust lane directions.

Railway stations and airports extended service hours, added volunteers to guide passengers, and opened waiting rooms overnight in major cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Nanjing.

Despite the measures, online users reported long queues at highway service areas in the central Hunan province and southern Guangdong, with some saying they were unable to enter five consecutive rest stops as even emergency lanes filled with parked cars.

The surge in self-driving trips has also strained the EV charging network. On the first day of the holiday, some drivers reported waiting more than three hours to recharge, prompting several provinces to add temporary facilities. 

In Hunan, authorities set up 144 new charging points and 22 liquid-cooled supercharging stations at more than 15 service areas, offering charging speeds of up to one kilometer of range per second. 

(Header image: A traffic jam near a toll station in Chuzhou, Anhui province, Oct. 7, 2025. Fang Dongxu/VCG)