National Holiday Begins in China as Highways Gridlock with Massive Traffic Jams

The first week of October in China is known as one of the busiest travel periods of the year, when millions of people across the country hit the roads simultaneously. The National Day, which marks the anniversary of the proclamation of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, is celebrated this year with a seven-day 'Golden Week' holiday running until October 17. Naturally, those who seize the opportunity of the extended holiday flock to the highways to return to their hometowns or visit holiday resorts, transforming the appearance of the roads in China, one of the world's most populous countries.

Images showing the traffic congestion created with the onset of the official national holiday in China, which has a population of approximately 1.4 billion, vividly depicted how the highways turned into rivers of light at night. Aerial footage revealed a line of waiting vehicles stretching for miles, with cars slowly advancing across dozens of lanes in front of toll booths.