China reports robust travel figures on 1st day of Qingming holiday

BEIJING - China, the world's second-largest economy, saw an increased number of people travel to all corners of the country on the first day of this year's three-day Qingming Festival holiday on Friday, with all types of transport services reporting surging passenger numbers.

On April 4, the first day of the holiday, the nation's railways recorded more than 20.09 million passenger trips, up 8.4 percent year-on-year, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.

Passenger trips made by water hit 880,000, up 24.4 percent, and air passenger trips neared 1.79 million, up 8.6 percent.

Passenger trips made on roads accounted for the biggest share of journeys, totaling 264.72 million, up 9.7 percent year-on-year. More and more people in China are traveling in private vehicles, with these trips totaling 228.23 million on Friday, up 11.1 percent.

Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, fell on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival during which people pay tribute to the dead and worship their ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for China's residents to engage in outdoor activities or go sightseeing.