Crowds, long expected, appeared across tourist spots in China with many struggling to reach their destinations, and many were stuck on highways for long hours on Saturday, the first day of the May Day holidays. The scene is an indication that Chinese people completely trust the country's epidemic-control measures. 

It is estimated that 265 million passenger trips will be made during the holidays. 

At 11am, the Badaling Great Wall released a notice saying online reservations for Saturday through to Monday topped 48,750, the limit set under epidemic control requirements. Video clips showed people squeezed up the Great Wall.

Crowds on the Great Wall in Beijing on May 1, 2021  Photo:VCG

A similar scene appeared at popular Mount Tai in Tai'an, East China's Shandong Province, where tourists squeezed up the famous mountain. "Even if you want to give up climbing, people behind you will not allow you to do so," a net user posted jokingly.  

The Yellow Crane Tower, a landmark tourist site in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, issued a notice at 4pm that it had received 40,000 visitors, 80 percent of top capacity. It may suspend entry due to epidemic control requirements. 

"There are many people taking photos of the tower and walking on the bridge [across the Yangtze River], it feels like going back to 2019," a Wuhan resident posted on social media. 

At the Longmen Grottoes in Central China's Luoyang, security staff resorted to using  loudspeakers to ask tourists to keep walking in step with the crowds, not to stay at a place for too long to take a photo, as that may cause a stampede or other accidents.  

Duanqiao in West Lake, Hang Zhou, East China's Zhejiang also experienced unusual crowds with people lining up for hundreds of meters outside toilets. People who wanted to rent a boat on the scenic West Lake may have to wait for hours to get the chance.

Not only tourist sites but also highway service centers, railway stations and airports have seen an unusual number of travelers. A Luoyang resident surnamed Ma told the Global Times that he spent four hours on a trip that takes 40 minutes normally. "The only relief is that highway tolls have been waivered during the holiday," Ma said. 

Of the 50 most searched phrases on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, 10 were about the holidays. People who traveled complained about crowds but also expressed excitement for traveling. Some others shared their tips to avoid crowds -- staying at home.