Spring Festival Halts Chinese Deliveries | Generated by AI
During Chinese Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), delivery services in China often stop or have reduced operations for several reasons:
Mass migration home Spring Festival triggers the world’s largest annual human migration, called “chunyun.” Hundreds of millions of delivery workers travel back to their hometowns to reunite with family, leaving companies severely understaffed.
Cultural importance Spring Festival is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. It’s traditionally a time for family reunion, and most workers expect time off to celebrate with loved ones. Companies that tried to maintain full operations would struggle to retain staff.
Business closures Many warehouses, sorting facilities, and businesses also close during this period, disrupting the entire supply chain. Even if delivery workers were available, there would be less to deliver.
Government holidays The Chinese government designates Spring Festival as an official public holiday (typically 7-8 days), though the actual period of reduced service often extends longer as workers take additional leave.
Some companies do offer limited “Spring Festival delivery” services with premium fees to compensate workers who choose to work during the holiday, but capacity is dramatically reduced. Most delivery services resume normal operations within 1-2 weeks after the holiday ends.