Massive Traffic Jam at China's Largest Toll Station as 888 Million Holiday Travelers Return Home

Anhui Province's largest toll station witnessed an enormous traffic congestion as millions of travelers made their journey home on Monday, October 6, following the conclusion of the 8-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in China. Social media platforms have been flooded with viral videos showing the extent of this massive traffic backup at the Wuzhuang toll station.

The viral footage reveals Wuzhuang toll station's 36 lanes illuminated by countless red tail lights as vehicles queued bumper-to-bumper attempting to pass through the toll gates. Officials had anticipated more than 120,000 vehicles would pass through on the final day of the holiday period.

Dramatic drone footage captured multiple lanes of vehicles converging toward the toll gates, eventually forming into a four-lane queue that stretched for miles.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, a significant occasion for family reunions in China, coincided with National Day celebrations this year. This alignment extended the typical holiday period, running from October 1 to 8.

According to the Culture and Tourism Ministry, approximately 888 million trips were made during this year's extended holiday, compared to 765 million trips during last year's seven-day break.

For many drivers caught in the Wuzhuang toll station congestion, the experience brought back memories of the typical Chinese New Year travel rush, known locally as "chunyun."

China has experienced similar massive traffic jams before, with the most notorious being the unprecedented 12-day traffic jam in 2010. On August 14, 2010, travel came to a complete standstill due to an extraordinary traffic congestion spanning over 100 kilometers on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway. With numerous trucks breaking down along the route, thousands of vehicles and travelers remained stranded on the highway for a nearly two-week period.