ChindasPaying, trains, and the first days in China.

19 October 2026

Do not accidentally book a national holiday

Chinese New Year, the May holiday, and the October holiday are the crowded weeks.

Trains and famous sites fill for Chinese New Year, for the holiday around 1 May, and for the holiday around 1 October. The exact dates shift with the calendar. Look up the year's official holiday notice before you treat a cheap fare as a find.

If those weeks are the only weeks you can travel, book the train the day it opens on 12306 and expect popular sites to need a reserved entry slot. The country is on vacation, and you are in it.