Trending Now: China's Social Media Highlights #28April-4May#

Weibo

Image Source: Weibo

Spain Declares National Emergency On April 28, a massive blackout hit Spain and Portugal. Spain has initiated a level-three national emergency response. Despite disruptions, China Trading Desk forecasts 160,000 Chinese tourists to visit Spain in the next three months, up 55% YoY. Read more

"Stall Tourism" Gains Popularity Among Youth This May Day, young people turned cities like Changsha into pop-up creative hubs—combining travel with micro-entrepreneurship by setting up street stalls, redefining vacation as a fusion of leisure and hustle. Read more

Image Source: Weibo

Tour Group Abandoned at Highway Rest Stop A bus carrying 160 elderly tourists was left at a service area due to unpaid vehicle fees by the tour operator. The incident has fuelled online debates, with surveys showing that independent travel is now the most popular mode among Chinese social media users. Read more

“Offbeat Destinations” Trend This May Day May Day vacationers are flocking to under-the-radar spots. Searches for “quiet niche destinations” are up 200%, with Spain’s Granada and Georgia’s Tbilisi seeing surging flight bookings. Read more

Shanghai Railway Sees Peak Holiday Travel On May 1, Shanghai railway stations handled 658,000 passengers, up 16.1% YoY. All-night waiting rooms and extra trains were deployed for routes to western and Yangtze River Delta regions. Read more

New Consumption Trends in 2025 “Trade-in” campaigns have driven over ¥720B in national spending. Emerging orders from lower-tier regions for smart gadgets like robot vacuums and massage chairs reflect expanding quality-of-life consumption in non-core markets. Read more

Douyin

5 Chinese Citizens Killed in U.S. Car Crash A traffic accident near Yellowstone National Park left five Chinese tourists dead and several injured. Yellowstone sees 4 million annual visitors, with Chinese tourists making up 34% of international travellers. Read more

Mass Protests Across the U.S. on May 1 On May 1, anti-government protests erupted across all 50 U.S. states, targeting policies related to the economy, immigration, and academia. Read more

Xiaohongshu

The Most Hectic Moment: Pre-Trip Rituals Young travellers, especially women, discuss their chaotic pre-departure routines—packing, skincare, and nails—highlighting beauty rituals as part of modern travel prep. Read more

Baidu

Image Source: Baidu

Central Asia’s “Hidden Gem” Now Crowded with Chinese Tourists Uzbekistan has seen an influx of Chinese tourists this May Day. From Samarkand to Bukhara, Chinese voices dominate the landmarks. Tickets are so scarce, users compare booking trains to "burning out a mouse". Read more

China Embassy Issues Iran Travel Warning Following a deadly explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port, Iran, three Chinese citizens sustained minor injuries. The Chinese embassy in Iran urges enhanced security awareness and avoidance of high-risk areas. Read more

Top Outbound Destinations for May Day Data shows record-breaking outbound travel. Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Singapore top booking charts, followed by Kuala Lumpur, Jeju Island, and London. Read more

Image Source: Baidu

“Partner-Style Travel” Becomes a Z-Gen Trend Young Chinese are turning to social platforms to find temporary travel companions. Whether it’s road-tripping with strangers or co-travelling with pets, this "DIY social travel" trend reflects new lifestyle values. Read more

Zhihu

Image Source: Zhihu

Panda Repatriation: Will Wakayama Tourism Suffer? Four pandas will return from Japan’s Wakayama to China by June’s end. The pandas are a key tourist attraction in the region, drawing over 2 million visitors annually. Their departure may have a sizable impact. Read more