Unprecedentedly gloomy Lunar New Year in China, empty high-speed trains, deserted markets

Unprecedentedly gloomy Lunar New Year in China. Empty high-speed trains. Deserted markets. China's economy continues to decline. The CCP's stimulus policy has failed. And Chinese people are increasingly losing confidence in the future. As the 2025 Chinese New Year approaches, a large number of netizens have posted videos saying that the market is depressed, business is difficult, and that the Chinese New Year may be the quietest in history. The Chinese New Year is approaching, but the return home tide in previous years has not come as expected. Many passengers filmed videos saying that the high-speed rail carriages were empty and almost empty. Some merchants also lamented that the market was deserted and there was no business to do. Why? Many people have run out of money and dare not return home for the New Year. Nor do they have money to shop, so the markets are deserted. This is unprecedented in decades in China. Reality reflects that the Chinese economy is in a very serious recession. A passenger posted a video saying, I was cheated by the high-speed rail when I bought the ticket. When I bought the ticket, the ticket purchasing platform showed there were not many first-class seats and there were not many second-class seats. As a result, after getting on the high-speed rail, I found that I was the only one in the entire carriage. I was really the only one. Let me show you. This high-speed rail is about to enter the next station. There is no one. It's booked. The passenger said self-deprecatingly that he booked the entire high-speed rail. Some netizens said, China's high-speed rail is empty and the losses are very severe. From this, we can see that China's economy has really collapsed. Another netizen said, the economy has collapsed and no one is going out. Another netizen posted a video saying that on January 15th, the high-speed train from Yiwu to Shanghai Hongqiao was empty. And after arriving at the station, there were very few passengers in the station. Videos on Chinese social platforms show that the Chinese New Year is approaching, but there is no crowd of people returning home for the New Year as in previous years. And the train stations in some areas are not busy. According to previous media reports, due to the economic downturn, many factories and enterprises have closed down and the number of migrant workers has decreased significantly. Many migrant workers have also taken holidays early and returned to their hometowns. So there has been a sharp drop in the number of people returning home. Some videos show that the train stations in some cities are not as crowded as in previous years. The Guangzhou railway station is even more deserted, which is in sharp contrast to the crowded scene 20 years ago. Some netizens bluntly said that most migrant workers are reluctant to take the high-speed rail and the deserted Guangzhou railway station explains many problems. In addition to the sparsely populated train stations and high-speed rails, the New Year's goods markets in many cities are also deserted. Netizens in many places posted videos lamenting the economic depression and bleak business, and they can't feel the atmosphere of the New Year at all. The whole food city is so quiet. How can it be like the Chinese New Year? There's not a single ghost. What is this like? I don't know what business it is. There is not a single ghost. A merchant filmed a video and said, A Tianjin citizen posted a video saying, The atmosphere of the Chinese New Year this year is very different from previous years. At this time, there are few people on the street, the promotion activities in the mall are mediocre, and most restaurants are deserted. New Year's flavor is fading. Blogger. Two reasons could make this the coldest New Year on record. Mr. Wu, a resident of Shanghai, said in an interview with Radio Free Asia on Wednesday 15th that due to the economic depression, there is less New Year's flavor this year. He said, There is no such New Year's atmosphere. I went out to buy things two days ago and found that many supermarkets were closed and could not continue to operate. In the past, you had to queue up to check out at the supermarket at this time, and you had to queue for half an hour to check out. Now you can check out immediately after buying the goods. Purchasing power is not good. Not only in cities, but also in rural areas. Blogger. Ride Uncle Dang Tianye said, In the past, Guangdong had a unique smell of the New Year, but now I really can't smell it. In the past, when the 12th lunar month came, there were sparse firecrackers in the village, reminding you all the time that the New Year is coming. Now there is no one on the street. Everything has changed. China's unemployment rate remains high. In August 2024, the youth unemployment rate in China, announced by the authorities, was as high as 18.8%, setting a new high since the official statistical method was changed. Blogger. Ziyu Qingqing posted that 2025 may usher in the coldest and freshest Chinese New Year in history. And there are two main reasons. First, it is difficult to celebrate the New Year due to a lack of money. After working hard for a year, many people not only did not make any money but may also be heavily in debt. However, they need to buy New Year's goods and give red envelopes to their juniors during the New Year. For people with tight finances, these basic expenses have become a heavy burden. And their confidence in celebrating the New Year has been greatly reduced. Second, the employment situation is severe. If many migrant workers cannot find a job, they would have returned to their hometowns long ago. Even if the migrant workers who are still wandering outside want to go home for the New Year, they are scared by the high prices of air tickets and high-speed rail tickets. The market is depressed, business is difficult, and the whole street is empty. Recently, a large number of netizens have posted videos online saying that, although the New Year is coming soon, the market is depressed and there is no business. As the year 2025 approaches, the economy is in a mess. Physical stores in Guangzhou are closing down in droves, and the vacancy rate of office buildings in Shanghai has soared. 2025 may usher in the most miserable Chinese New Year in history. Wanda in Guangzhou is also in trouble. Most of the stores are renting out and the popular stores are being transferred. The whole street is empty, and the total flow of people does not exceed 10. It feels like this place is completely cold. A landlord said that the shops that used to rent for 13,000 to 14,000 yuan are now not rented even if they are put at 4,000 yuan. There are still more than 10 days until the Chinese New Year, which should be the busiest time, but it has become the worst month in history. There is no one in the store, no one on the street. How devastated must those stores with hundreds of thousands of goods be? How did business achieve nationwide uniformity this year? There is no one on the street, and there are more bosses than shoppers. Now you can hear a pin drop on the street. Not only supermarkets, but also the catering industry and the clothing industry. Bosses from all walks of life say that business has never been so slow in recent decades. Prices of high-priced fruits and seafood have plummeted. Some netizens posted videos saying that high-priced fruits and seafood have no buyers, and the prices have plummeted. This year's Chinese New Year is like a catastrophe for ordinary people. Physical stores are deserted. Cherries, seafood and other items, unlike in previous years, are not selling well. Many companies have no annual meetings, and the year-end bonuses are also greatly reduced. According to a recent report by Zhejiang Evening News, the price of cherries has been falling since they were put on the market. When they first came on the market, the price was 1,200 to 1,500 yuan per 5 kilograms, but now it has dropped to around 220 to 230 yuan, a drop of 80 percent. Mr. Gao, a resident of Wuhan, told Radio Free Asia that the consumption level of residents is not as good as before, and some people's temporary New Year goods exhibition booths were suddenly withdrawn. He said, many people withdrew from the booths at the exhibition in Wuhan. They sell goods for one or two days, and then they find that the sales are not good, so they withdraw. More than 15,200 Chinese super-rich have fled. Chinese seeking asylum abroad hits record high. The CCP continues to crack down on private enterprises, and the economy continues to be sluggish. Not only is foreign capital withdrawing from China in large numbers, but the rich are also fleeing at an accelerated pace. According to the latest report, the number of rich people fleeing from China last year hit a record high. Chinese self-media person Wuhan Fuxing Xing said, there are no rich people in China anymore. Why? Because the rich have all run away, and it's too late if they don't run away again. According to the latest report from investment immigration company Henley Partners, in 2024, it is estimated that 15,200 wealthy people in China with assets of $1 million will transfer their assets and immigrate to other countries. This figure is about 1,400 more than in 2023, and 28% more than in 2022, setting a record high. Epoch Times columnist Wing He said, the CCP has been turning left over the years, which has put a lot of pressure on those wealthy businessmen. The political situation is getting worse and worse, and the overall economic situation is very bad. It is difficult for them to safely hold and develop their property in China. Al Jazeera reported that the Chinese economy is facing the most severe moment in decades. The economic growth rate is far lower than the historical trend, and the youth unemployment rate remains high, hovering above 17%, while China's real estate market continues to be in a long-term downturn, and housing prices have fallen by about 8% from the peak. The real data is said to be worse. At the same time, in recent years, the CCP authorities have comprehensively regulated and suppressed industries such as technology, finance, and education and training, making the business community feel extremely nervous. Li Henking, an economist at the Washington Information and Strategic Institute, first, there is no opportunity to make money, and second, there is a greater chance of being plundered. China now has no money from the central government to the local governments. Now, all kinds of heavy taxes are centered on these rich people. So, these rich people, they all know very well that they can escape from that place as soon as possible. Experts believe that if this trend continues, it will inevitably pose a more severe challenge to the Chinese economy. Wang He, everyone lacks confidence, and at this time, a large number of wealthy businessmen take away huge amounts of money, which makes China's economy even worse. Li Henking, it will pose a threat to China's entire foreign exchange reserves and the stability of the RMB's currency value. In addition to the accelerated escape of the rich, the number of Chinese seeking asylum overseas is growing at a record rate. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that the total number of people who fled China last year was at least 176,239, an increase of 169 percent from 2019 before the outbreak, setting a record high. Wang He, the injustice and bullying of the whole society are rising one after another. So many people are becoming more and more desperate for the CCP, voting with their feet, and would rather give up everything in the country and go abroad to seek a new life.