PHOTOS: Tourists Swarm China Attractions For October Holiday

By Matthew Bossons

October Golden Week 2017 started (and will almost certainly end) with carmageddon, and has descended into tourist attraction madness, with many of China’s most popular sites overrun by domestic vacationers. 

Carmageddon 2017

Hectic traffic and crowds are synonymous with Chinese holidays, particularly the two ‘Golden Weeks’ – Spring Festival and National Day. In 2015, 532 million domestic trips were made during the October Golden Week, while last year an estimated 600 million people traveled.

As we previously reported, a staggering 700 million people are expected to travel this year, an increase of over a 100 million from last year's estimate. China's Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 4 this year, lengthening the usual Golden Week holiday to an eight-day break.

Now, sit back and marvel with us at the mayhem that ensues when 700 million people decide to vacation at the same time!

Chengdu, Sichuan

Chengdu, Sichuan

Chengdu, Sichuan

Chengdu, Sichuan

Nanjing, Jiangsu

Suzhou, Jiangsu

Huashan, Shaanxi

The Forbidden City, Beijing

Tiananmen Square, Beijing

The Great Wall

The Great Wall

Line to visit the Great Wall

Guangzhou, Guangdong

Jinan, Shandong

West Lake, Hangzhou

Xiaoqikong, Guizhou 

Xiaoqikong, Guizhou 

Ningbo, Zhejiang

Shanghai

And here, we reimagine some of China’s most iconic sites swarmed by emojis: 

Guangzhou's Canton Tower

The 'Great Wall of Emojis'

Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower

With files from Bailey Hu.

[Images via Instagram (@lenaillonfaible), Southern Metropolis Daily, What's on Weibo, Weibo]

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