China's cross-regional passenger flow during the New Year's holiday is estimated to have reached 590 million trips. On January 3, the waiting hall of Zhengzhou East Railway Station in Henan province was crowded with passengers. This day marked the final day of the holiday period, with railways experiencing a peak in return travel.
According to data from the Ministry of Transport, from January 1 to January 3, 2026, the total volume of cross-regional passenger movements in society is estimated at 590 million trips, representing a 19.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Railway passenger volume is estimated at 48.223 million trips, a significant 53.1% year-on-year increase. Road passenger flow reached an estimated 540 million trips, up 15.5%, while waterway passenger volume was 2.29 million trips, surging 35.3%. Civil aviation passenger volume is estimated at 5.881 million trips, an increase of 10.49%.
A grand flag-raising ceremony was held at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in the early morning of January 1. On New Year's Day 2026 in Beijing, a palpable warmth filled Tiananmen Square. 46,000 people stood quietly, holding their breath in anticipation—venerable elders, vibrant youth, long-time residents of the capital, and tourists from afar—all awaiting the rise of the most brilliant "China Red."
Their gaze embodied a uniquely Chinese sentiment of patriotism, a belief and passion etched into their very veins. As the new year's first rays of sunlight arrived, the bright Five-Starred Red Flag was raised steadily into the sky!
People across the nation welcomed 2026 on New Year's Eve, leaving the old year behind. On the evening of December 31, 2025, people participated in New Year's Eve celebrations in the Old Street of Qilihe District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. Across the country, bells rang out, fireworks lit up the sky, and people offered prayers and well-wishes to usher in the new year.
New lives were welcomed on January 1. On that day, Cila, a midwife in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital, was imprinting the footprint of a newborn. Even on New Year's Eve, the department in Lhasa remained brightly lit, with medical staff shuttling between delivery rooms, operating theaters, and wards, safeguarding new hopes for families on the plateau.
The first "supermoon" of 2026 appeared on January 3. In Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, this year's first supermoon graced the sky. The image shows the supermoon framed alongside the Tian Jiabing Building of the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A supermoon refers to a full moon at or near its closest approach to Earth. Astronomical experts noted that 2026 will have two supermoons, occurring on January 3 and December 24.
Former US President Donald Trump issued a statement regarding US military action against Venezuela. On January 3, 2025, local time, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump addressed the media about US military operations in Venezuela. He stated that US forces utilized air, land, and sea power in the operation, describing it as "one of the most stunning, effective, and powerful demonstrations of American military strength and capability." Trump claimed that "all military forces of Venezuela have been incapacitated," and that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife would face US judicial proceedings, currently being transported on a ship bound for New York.
The South Korean presidential office officially relocated back to the Blue House. On December 29, 2025, in Seoul, a vehicle carrying South Korean President Lee Jae-myung arrived at the Blue House. The relocation was officially completed on that day, marking a return after an absence of 3 years and 7 months. The Blue House had served as the official residence and office of South Korean presidents since 1948. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol moved the office to a new presidential facility in the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan District after taking office in May 2022, opening the Blue House to the public. President Lee Jae-myung announced the decision to move back after his inauguration.
Bulgaria formally joined the eurozone. On December 31, 2025, at a market in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, vegetables were priced in both euros and the Bulgarian lev. Bulgaria officially became the 21st member of the eurozone on January 1, 2026. According to a European Commission release, the euro will gradually replace the lev as Bulgaria's legal tender starting January 1, 2026, with a fixed conversion rate of 1 euro to 1.95583 leva.
Switzerland: Mourning the victims of a bar fire. On January 3, 2026, local time, in Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps, a child watches an adult place a candle outside the cordoned-off Le Constellation bar. A fire broke out in the early hours of January 1 at the "Constellation" bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana in the canton of Valais, resulting in approximately 40 deaths and 119 injuries, many of whom were in serious condition.
Bangladesh held a funeral for its former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia. On December 31, 2025, people gathered near the parliament building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to attend the funeral of Khaleda Zia. The former Prime Minister passed away on December 30 in Dhaka. Her funeral was held on the 31st, and she was laid to rest in Dhaka beside the grave of her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman.
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