As October 1 arrived, a lot of people in China were anticipated to hit the road to commemorate the National Day holiday, one of the busiest days for leisure in the world’s most populous country. The eight-day holiday was China’s first big holiday after the spread of coronavirus. While life in China has gone to normal in the previous months, the “Golden Week” holiday was a reward for China’s success in stopping the spread of the virus — and a much-awaited leap to the restoration of its economy. It was foreseen that 550 million domestic trips would be booked this year.

Chen Qianmei, a woman from the southern part of Guangzhou, traveled to Shanghai on Tuesday to go on vacation. She added that she was not thinking about the virus; however, she still observed safety precautions. “I think China has (the virus) under pretty good control,” she said. “I’m wearing masks and bringing alcohol wipes with me to clean my hands, especially before eating — although in Shanghai, few people wear masks now.”