Train travel surges during Qingming Festival

BEIJING - Data released Tuesday by China's railway authorities showed train trips in the country hit 34.53 million during the three-day break for Tomb-sweeping Day, which fell on Saturday.

The number represented an increase of 17.6 percent compared to the corresponding period last year, the data showed.

On Saturday alone, train travel reached 9.38 million, an increase of 1.07 million compared to the corresponding day last year.

Meanwhile, more travellers opted for high-speed trains, which registered 12.49 million trips, up 39.5 percent.

Tomb-sweeping Day, or Qingming Festival, is the most important holiday for Chinese to remember the deceased.