February 13, 2026 | 02:47 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chinese New Year holiday is a moment for the people of China to return to their hometowns, similar to the Eid al-Fitr in Indonesia. Usually, young people living in the city will go back to their hometowns to visit their parents and relatives. But this year's Chinese New Year is different. The phenomenon of reverse homecoming or fanxiang guonian has become a choice among the young generation.
A reverse homecoming occurs when young people who work in cities take their parents to visit those areas. Data from Meituan Travel, a popular online ticket sales platform in China, shows that ticket sales for "reverse homecoming" in 2026 have increased by 84 percent compared to 2025. Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu are the main destinations during the Chinese New Year holiday, according to Antara.
Other data shows that during the Chinese New Year holiday this year, there has been a significant increase in air travel by people aged 60 to major cities such as Beijing (up 40 percent), Chengdu (up 31 percent), Tianjin (up 30 percent), and Guangzhou (27 percent).
Several major cities in China also hold activities for residents who do not go home and accommodate visitors for the "reverse homecoming" during the Chinese New Year holiday. Shanghai will host more than 2,000 cultural and tourism activities, and Beijing will organize lantern festivals, cultural performances, and bazaars at 26 different locations.
Reasons for the Young Generation's Reverse Homecoming
This phenomenon of reverse homecoming has also gone viral on Chinese social media. The related topic of "reverse homecoming" on Weibo Monday (9/2) reached 2.2 million views. The same topic also appeared on the Xiaohongshu platform. Several users shared their experiences taking their parents on a "reverse homecoming" to their workplaces.
Reverse homecoming has become a trend for several reasons. A Xiaohongshu user from Henan who works in Shenzhen shared the story of taking their parents on a "reverse homecoming" to the city where they work. They save on travel expenses, accommodation, and consumption.
Another platform user mentioned that "reverse homecoming" is easier because there is no need to struggle to buy tickets, no fatigue from traveling long distances and visiting relatives' homes, and they can celebrate the Chinese New Year in a more relaxed manner.
According to the government's media release, Hu Jiliang, Deputy Director of the Economic Research Center at Central China Normal University, stated that the "reverse homecoming" trend can foster better understanding between parents and children living away and increase the circulation of money in the cities.
The 2026 Chinese New Year holiday lasts for 9 days in China, from February 15 to 23, 2025. However, the celebration can last for 40 days. The Chinese people take advantage of this moment to go home. Every year, billions of passenger journeys occur. This year, it is estimated that there will be 9.5 billion passenger journeys over 40 days, including 540 million train journeys and 95 million air travels.
Antara contributed to this article
Read: 7 Must-Visit Chinese New Year Events in Singapore 2026
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