Aerial footage showed thousands of vehicles lined up at the 36-lane Wuzhuang Toll Station in Chuzhou, Anhui province, on Tuesday, as holidaymakers attempted to exit the area. This is also Asia’s largest toll station. Social media users quickly shared the viral images, showing lanes glowing with endless red taillights, gradually merging into a four-lane queue beyond the toll gates. This traffic jam in China was so massive and structured that some commented on X and wondered if it was AI or not.
Record-breaking holiday travel pushes roads to the limit
China’s National Day holiday is one of the busiest periods for domestic travel, and this year it coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival, creating an extended break from October 1 to 8. According to China’s Culture and Tourism Ministry, around 888 million trips were made this year, up from 765 million trips during last year’s seven-day holiday.
Comparisons to China’s worst-ever traffic jam
The massive congestion drew comparisons to China’s notorious 2010 traffic jam, which lasted 12 days and stretched over 100 kilometers along the China National Highway 110 and the Beijing–Tibet Expressway. At the time, construction, increased heavy truck traffic, and breakdowns caused the jam, forcing some drivers to move as little as 1 km per day. Villagers reportedly capitalized on the stranded motorists by selling essentials like instant noodles and cigarettes at inflated prices.
China’s national holiday
China’s main national holiday is National Day, which is on October 1st and marks the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It is celebrated with a week-long “Golden Week” holiday that typically runs from October 1st through October 7th, though the exact dates can shift depending on the calendar and the Mid-Autumn Festival.