An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2025 shows bullet trains waiting for departure at the parking yard of a bullet train depot in Tianjin, north China. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last till Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- China ushered in its largest annual population migration on Tuesday, 15 days ahead of the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese Lunar New Year.

This marks the first chunyun, or Spring Festival travel rush, after UNESCO inscribed the Spring Festival on its intangible cultural heritage list in December last year.

Nine billion passenger trips are expected during this year's travel rush period that ends on Feb. 22 -- with both rail and air passenger trips set to hit record highs.

During this travel season, 7.2 billion road trips and over 90 million civil aviation trips are forecast to be made. More than 510 million passenger trips will also be handled by the country's railways, with an average of 12.75 million trips daily, an increase of 5.5 percent compared with 2024.

About 10.3 million train trips are expected to be made on Tuesday, the first day of the travel rush.

The public's desire to travel is strong, and overall passenger flow is expected to grow steadily during the travel rush, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

To meet the surging demand, China's railway operator will increase passenger transport capacity. Over 14,000 passenger trains will be operated daily on average during chunyun this year -- providing an additional 500,000 seats per day. Railway passenger transport capacity is expected to grow by about 4 percent year on year.

This 40-day travel surge will see hundreds of millions of people in China returning to their hometowns for family reunions. ■

Passengers are pictured on the first train departing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush from Shenzhen North Railway Station in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last till Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

Passengers prepare to board the first train for this year's Spring Festival travel rush departing from Shenzhen North Railway Station in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last till Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

Passengers are pictured at Shenzhen North Railway Station in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last till Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2025 shows bullet trains heading for railway stations from the parking yard of a bullet train depot in Tianjin, north China. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last till Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2025 shows a bullet train heading for the railway station from the parking yard of a bullet train depot in Tianjin, north China. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last till Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2025 shows bullet trains waiting for departure at the parking yard of a bullet train depot in Tianjin, north China. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last till Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

Passengers pose for photos with train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A child holds a placard reading "go home for the New Year" aboard train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A girl and her mother play while waiting to take train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Passengers prepare to board train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

Staff members in cartoon-style costumes greet passengers at Xining Station in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Train K4159 departs from Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 14, 2025. It is this first train that departed from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A girl reads on train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

Passengers and crew members pose for a group photo aboard bullet train D2822 from Xining of northwest China's Qinghai Province to Hohhot of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

A girl and her family prepare to board train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Police officer Wang Haiyang of Beijing railway public security bureau explains how to avoid telecom fraud to a passenger on train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

Passengers prepare to board a bus at Fuzhou north bus station in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

Passengers check in for train K4159, the first train to depart from Beijing for this year's Spring Festival travel rush at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A policewoman presents a passenger with a calligraphy work of Chinese character "Fu" which means "good fortune," at the waiting hall of Changchun Railway Station in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

An actor performs to entertain passengers at the waiting hall of Chongqing North Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Passengers prepare to board the train at Chongqing North Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Passengers walk towards the waiting hall of Chongqing North Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

A policeman channels passenger flows at the waiting hall of Chongqing North Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

Policemen set up a desk of free deposit service for migrant workers who have brought their tools not allowed in train carriages at the waiting hall of Changchun Railway Station in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

Passengers are pictured at the waiting hall of Chongqing North Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

Passengers are pictured at the waiting hall of Xi'an Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

A passenger holding a Spring Festival couplet walks at the waiting hall of Xi'an Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

A passenger charges his mobile phone at a service station in Hefei South Railway Station in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

Passengers wait for their trains at Hefei South Railway Station in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

Passengers are pictured at Chongqing West Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

A policeman popularizes information on trip safety among passengers at Chongqing North Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

A girl poses for photos with a calligraphy work of Chinese character "Fu" which means "good fortune," at the waiting hall of Taiyuan South Railway Station in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)

A calligrapher writes Spring Festival couplets for passengers for free at the waiting hall of Xi'an Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Passengers wait to board a train at Hefei South Railway Station in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

Passengers pass through a ticket barrier at Changsha Railway Station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Railway policemen help passengers carry luggages at Changsha Railway Station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Passengers are pictured at Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Xu Hongyan)

Passengers wait to board a train at Urumqi Railway Station in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

A volunteer shows passengers the way at the waiting hall of Urumqi Railway Station in Urumqi, northwest China's Xijiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Passengers walk past a poster, which reads as "The Way Home is the Most Beautiful Scenery", at the waiting hall of Shenyang Railway Station in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

An aerial drone photo shows cars driving onto a ro-ro ship for new energy vehicles at Xiuying Port in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, on Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Passengers are pictured at Kunming South Railway Station in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

A police officer directs traffic outside Chengdu East Railway Station in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)

A drone photo shows vehicles driving off a ro-ro ship at Xiuying Port in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, on Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

Railway police send a small gift to a passenger at the waiting hall of Shijiazhuang Railway Station in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Wang Xiao)

A crew member gives souvenirs to passengers on train C2114 running from Tianjin West Railway Station to Beijing South Railway Station, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

This photo taken through the window of train G1730 shows passengers walking on the platform of Daye North Railway Station in Huangshi city, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

Passengers walk on the platform of Harbin Railway Station in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

Passengers check in at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 14, 2025. The Spring Festival travel rush of this year started on Tuesday and will last til Feb. 22. A total of 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during the 40-day travel surge. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)