BEIJING - Some 629.56 million passenger trips were handled by China's transportation sectors during the three-day holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival, up 31.1 percent year on year, data from the Ministry of Transport showed on Wednesday.

Of the total, China recorded 42.57 million passenger trips by railway, 1.98 million by water, and 5.07 million by air.

Road traffic took the lion's share, with 579.94 million passenger trips.

National order inspection authorities recorded about 5.25 million entries and exits for both Chinese and foreign individuals, during the holiday marking an 18.6 percent year-on-year increase, the National Immigration Administration announced on Wednesday.

Among them, foreign nationals accounted for 554,000 entries and exits, showing a 62.2 percent year-on-year increase.

Residents from the mainland made 2.63 million entries and exits, a 15.1 percent increase from the previous year, and residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan totaled 2.07 million entries and exits, reflecting a 7.3 percent year-on-year increase.

In addition, border inspection agencies inspected 242,000 border crossings made by vehicles, ships, trains and planes, marking a 37.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

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The holiday also embraced a short-distance travel boom for family reunions and full moon appreciating.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Wednesday that domestic tourism destinations received about 107 million visits, up 6.3 percent of that in 2019 — before the COVID-19 epidemic hit.

Travelers' expenses during the holiday reached over 51 billion yuan ($7.19 billon), rising 8 percent compared with the same period in 2019. The holiday also lasted three days in mid-September of 2019.

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Folk activities with strong Chinese vibes including lantern fairs, fire dragon dance and appreciating full moons are favored by travelers over the holiday. Museums and theaters are also popular destinations, according to the ministry.

The ministry added that most travelers chose short-distance tours by taking high-speed trains or self-driving allowing for a shorter length of vacation.