China sees travel rush over Duanwu Festival

Many people across China have started their annual travel rush for the traditional Dragon Boat Festival.

The China Railway Corporation estimates that 32 million passenger trips will be made on the railway, up 15 percent year on year.

The daily average passenger flow is estimated to reach 10 million during the three-day travel rush that started on Saturday.

The railway operator will temporarily put some 490 extra trains in operation to meet the increased demand.

Beijing and Shanghai saw traffic jams early in the morning on Saturday as city dwellers headed out toward family reunions and tourist destinations.

The Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Festival, is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

It falls on a Monday this year.

The festival commemorates famous ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who lived over two thousand years ago. People eat zongzi, a rice dumpling, and race dragon boats during the holiday.