Trending Now: China's Social Media Highlight #29 December 2025 - 4 January 2026#

Weibo | New Year Travel “Micro-Getaways”, Japan Safety Alerts, and Turkey Visa-Free Momentum

New Year Demand Shifts to Hot Springs, Snow Holidays and “Sun-Seeking” Escapes

Big-data analysis points to hot-spring micro-breaks (1–2 days), ice-and-snow travel, and warm-weather getaways as the core New Year consumption themes. Harbin continues to lead snow travel, while Altay (Xinjiang), Huludao (Liaoning) and Aba (Sichuan) show strong growth. Searches for New Year’s Eve concerts, drone light shows and themed fireworks jumped more than 500%, underscoring the experience-led nature of holiday consumption. Read more ->

Tokyo Vehicle Incident Renewed Safety Discussion for China–Japan Travel

A reported vehicle collision in Tokyo’s Shinjuku area injured two Chinese citizens, reigniting public attention around personal safety, local incident response, and risk perception during peak travel periods. Official reminders shared online are amplifying “travel caution” sentiment ahead of Spring Festival planning. Read more ->

Türkiye Visa-Free Buzz Fuels Spring Festival Itinerary Planning

Following Turkey’s visa-free announcement, flight searches to Turkey tripled within a single day, with many users beginning Spring Festival itinerary planning earlier than usual. The policy is widely framed as lowering friction for mid- to long-haul outbound trips, especially with the nine-day 2026 Spring Festival break expected to accelerate demand for destination “bucket-list” travel. Read more ->

Douyin | Precious Metals Pullback and Elevated Overseas Security Risk Alerts

Source: Nanyang Siang Pau

Gold and Silver Sell-Off Triggers Sharp Pullback in Domestic Jewellery Prices

Global precious metals fell broadly, with gold, silver and palladium seeing steep declines, prompting an overnight correction in domestic jewellery pricing. Global precious metals experienced a broad sell-off: spot gold fell by more than 4%, spot silver dropped 9%, and spot palladium plunged over 15%.The discussion is shaping consumer expectations around “buy timing”, short-term volatility and the narrative shift from safe-haven chase to price-sensitivity and caution. Read more ->

Venezuela Security Risk Spike: “Avoid Travel” Messaging Gains Traction

Content around a sudden escalation in Venezuela is driving high engagement, alongside reminders urging Chinese nationals to avoid non-essential travel and to strengthen personal safety measures if already in-country. The trend reinforces how geopolitical shocks can rapidly reshape destination sentiment and risk-led decision-making. Read more ->

Xiaohongshu | Scenic “Atmosphere Travel”, Trend-Driven Collectibles Reset, and Fuel Surcharge Optimisation

Source: 陈开头

Sayram Lake “Full Moon + Snow Mountain Glow” Goes Viral as a Winter Photo Pilgrimage

Sayram Lake’s breakout is powered by maximum “atmosphere”: sunrise pink light, snow mountains turning golden, rare full-moon compositions, and wildlife encounters, driving a surge in check-ins, route planning and photography spot-sharing. Read more ->

Labubu Resale Prices Cool: “Emotional Value” Meets Market Reality

In December 2025, Pop Mart’s Labubu “Sitting Party” vinyl plush series, originally retailing at RMB 594 per box, had already fallen from around RMB 1,478 to approximately RMB 632 on second-hand platforms. The conversation reflects a broader recalibration in the “blind box” and collectible economy, where scarcity, liquidity and hype cycles are increasingly scrutinised by buyers. Read more ->

Domestic Flight Fuel Surcharge Cut Drives “Wait Until the 5th to Book” Advice

With fuel surcharges set to drop from 5 January 2026, to RMB 10 per adult for domestic sectors of 800 km or below, and RMB 20 per adult for sectors above 800 km, users are actively sharing “best booking timing” tips and price-comparison strategies ahead of Spring Festival and winter break travel. This is accelerating pre-holiday ticket planning content and value-led booking behaviour. Read more ->

Baidu | Hainan’s First “Port-Close” Holiday, Taiwan Route Disruptions, and Europe Aviation Chaos

Source: Nanyang Siang Pau

Hainan’s First Holiday After Port-Close: Travel and Duty-Free Heat Surges

Data-led reporting shows Hainan’s holiday demand accelerating fast: flights to Haikou entered national top ten rankings, Haikou/Sanya self-drive interest climbed sharply, recording YoY growth of 81% and 96% respectively, and hotel demand expanded beyond core hotspots into “smaller” destinations. Duty-free retail remains a key traffic engine, while inbound travel performance also improved, with Southeast Asia and Korea as leading source markets. Read more ->

Drills Near Taiwan Trigger Large-Scale Flight Cancellations

Announcements around exercises near the island drove significant route disruption across regional aviation. Local carriers cancelled over 80 flights to Kinmen and Matsu, affecting around 6,000 passengers, while international flight cancellations before 18:00 the following day were estimated at over 850 flights, impacting more than 100,000 travellers. The topic highlights how geopolitical events quickly translate into operational uncertainty and passenger disruption. Read more ->

Europe Travel Disrupted by Weather and Operations: Thousands of Delays

On 30 December, extreme weather and operational challenges disrupted air travel across Europe, resulting in 4,145 delayed flights and 40 cancellations. In Finland’s Lapland, winter storms disrupted approximately 20 flights at Rovaniemi Airport, leaving around 1,000 passengers stranded and forcing authorities to reopen closed terminals for emergency accommodation. Read more ->

Zhihu | Turkey Visa-Free Implications, NEV Tax Policy Shift, and Brazil Visa-Free Debate

Source: AsiaYo

Turkey Announces Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Ordinary Passport Holders

Zhihu discussion focuses on reduced friction and stronger “spontaneous travel” potential, especially for Spring Festival and annual leave. Destination content is clustering around Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus, alongside flight deals and itinerary optimisation. Read more ->

NEV Purchase Tax Moves from “Exemption” to “Half Rate”: What Matters Most?

Debate centres on potential year-end “policy window” pull-forward demand, possible demand softness early next year, and how the tax cap changes the advantage for higher-priced models. Practical questions also include battery-swap tax treatment and stacking local trade-in subsidies with promotions. Read more ->

Brazil Considers Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Travellers: Opportunity vs Reality Checks

Brazilian officials have signalled plans to introduce visa-free entry for Chinese tourists and business travellers. Discussion weighs benefits, lower costs, stronger reciprocity expectations, and increased interest in long-haul South American routes such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Iguazu and the Amazon, against constraints including long travel distances, limited holiday length and safety considerations. Read more ->