China's 40-day Spring Festival travel rush ended on Friday with record passenger flows, underscoring the strength of the country's transport infrastructure and evolving lifestyles.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, inter-regional passenger trips reached a record high of 9.41 billion, according to the Ministry of Transport. Railway passenger trips amounted to 538 million, the country's civil aviation sector recorded 94.39 million passenger trips, and road travel, led by self-driving, hit 8.7 billion trips, all setting new highs.

The figures highlight China's vast transport network built in recent years, according to Zhao Pengjun, dean of Peking University's School of Urban Planning and Design.

"This is made possible by China's large-scale rapid transport network built in recent years. Why can such huge flows move so fast and still remain orderly? Through the Spring Festival travel rush, you can see the huge transformation China has undergone over the past decades," said Zhao.

With over 50,000 kilometers of high-speed rail, a vast expressway network, and a growing cluster of airports, China's comprehensive transport system now stretches over six million kilometers, providing solid support for travel on a massive scale.

The record flows also point to changing lifestyles.

What was once largely a journey home for the Chinese New Year has evolved into a mix of family visits and tourism. Some families are even opting for "reverse reunions," with parents traveling to big cities to celebrate with younger relatives.

Better connectivity has also made spontaneous trips part of everyday life.

"Now the transport network is really convenient. It connects everywhere," said a traveler.

Road travel reflected new trends, with self-driving accounting for more than 80 percent of journeys. Trips by new energy vehicles topped 380 million, setting another record.

Long-distance EV travel has also become easier, with charging facilities now available at more than 98 percent of expressway service areas nationwide.

"On the way, I was worried that charging might be inconvenient, but when I arrived at the scenic spot, there were charging stations right there. After spending a short time here, the car was already fully charged," said a traveler.

From high-speed trains to electric vehicles, and traditional reunions to tourism, the Spring Festival travel rush has become more than a seasonal migration. It is now a snapshot of China's infrastructure strength, economic vitality and changing lifestyles.