Statistics from the Ministry of Transport show that 488m people are expected to use roads and railways during the eight-day National Day holiday period, up 6.8 per cent year-on-year. Nearly 7.4m people are expected to use the waterways, equivalent to a daily volume of 920,000, up four per cent year-on-year.

Popular tourist destinations will bear the brunt of the traffic surge. Beijing alone is anticipating an increase of 16 per cent.