Travellers thronged railway stations and airports on Friday, clutching large suitcases and gifts such as boxes of fruit as they joined millions of Chinese returning to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year festival with family.

Train stations and airports across China saw the biggest peak in travellers on Saturday ahead of the Lunar New Year, as millions of people returned home to spend the holidays with their families in an annual migration that is expected to be a record.

China’s Lunar New Year travel rush has kicked into high gear, with billions of trips expected in coming days for the peak of the 40-day annual mass migration

China’s annual mass migration ahead of the Lunar New Year will peak with billions of trips anticipated during this year’s holiday, which begins Tuesday. An estimated 9 billion trips are expected. This year’s holiday lasts from Jan.