Millions of Chinese are traveling across the country in a period known as "revenge tourism", after nearly a year of quarantine, blocking and restricting movement.

"Revenge journey" or "revenge tourism" is a term used to describe the inevitable trend of travel and movement, as soon as people are free to move after months of being blocked.

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism expects about 550 million people to travel within the country during the official eight-day holiday marking the mid-autumn festival and China National Day (October 1).

Photos posted on social media on Tuesday, the first day of the national holiday, showed tourist-filled tourist sites and overcrowded train stations.

People complained on online forums that hotels had been booked and tickets to tourist sites had been sold or that traffic had made movement impossible. "Overload is inevitable," a commenter on Weibo said. "You better stay home."

Expenditures over the next eight days will be a key indicator of China's economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The state-run Economic Information Daily described the holiday as "critical" for the tourism industry. Commentators say this marks the beginning of "revenge spending" by Chinese consumers.

While China has managed to control most of the virus, with no new cases being broadcast locally in almost two months, the effects of the blockade months still continue, with many people unemployed and others having no income.

Sources: Guardian, Washington Post