BEIJING -- Falling on Monday and coinciding with China's National Day holiday, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival turned early October into a nationwide celebration of reunion, travel and festive cheer.

On a high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, a passenger surnamed Li and his young daughter joined an onboard craft event making moon-shaped fans, a nod to this festival's symbol of reunion.

"I never expected that we could attend such an interesting event on the train. My child also learned about cultural heritage," Li said. His daughter added with excitement: "I will give it to my grandma in Xi'an as a festival gift."

Kicking off on Oct 1, this year's eight-day holiday has seen a surge in travel across China, with official data showing about 1.24 billion passenger trips recorded during the first half of the break.

While family reunions remained at the heart of the festival, many also chose to celebrate through travel.

In the northeastern Jilin province, a tourist named Li Wenjia from neighboring Heilongjiang province, dressed her daughter in traditional Hanfu attire and joined a local park's Mid-Autumn-themed activities.

"It's profoundly meaningful to let children engage with traditional culture through immersive play and storytelling, then share the joy of moon appreciation and mooncakes together," Li said.

In the ancient town of Yangliuqing in North China's Tianjin municipality, streets came alive with lanterns and traditional Yangliuqing woodblock painting motifs.

"We combined elements of Yangliuqing woodblock painting with the Mid-Autumn Festival so that people can experience traditional culture while enjoying the festive joy," said Gao Jie, deputy general manager of Tianjin Yangliuqing Cultural & Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. A drone fireworks show illuminated the night sky, adding a modern touch to this centuries-old celebration.

Beyond lanterns and gatherings, the festival's signature treat, namely mooncakes, also featured new flavors this year to reflect regional specialties and evolving tastes.

In Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China, mooncakes made with milk skin and yogurt have recently become popular on e-commerce platforms. Meanwhile, in Pubei county in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, mooncakes filled with the local specialty dried orange peel offered a refreshing blend of sweetness and zest.

Data shows that China's mooncake market value is expected to reach 32.5 billion yuan (about $4.57 billion) in 2025, marking an estimated 8 percent year-on-year growth.

According to e-commerce giant JD.com, sales in its online supermarket remain strong in 2025 -- which has seen the launch of nearly 950 brands and around 50,000 new mooncake products.