Passengers wait in line to check their tickets at Shenzhen North Station on Jan 26, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

China's Spring Festival travel rush roared to life on Friday, as a staggering 189 million passenger trips were made on the first day, up 19.7 percent compared to last year, according to the Ministry of Transport on Saturday.

This surge marks a 6.7 percent increase even compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, highlighting the growing strength of domestic travel in China. Notably, railways carried 11.06 million passengers, while air travel saw 2.07 million trips and roads handled a robust 175.64 million journeys.

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The 40-day travel rush, a traditional holiday migration for family reunions and celebrations, will run until March 5. The ministry anticipates a record-breaking 9 billion passenger trips overall during the period.