Monthly Rhythms of Intercity Travel: A Seasonal Analysis of Population Mobility Between Chinese Cities

Abstract With the continuous improvement of China’s high-speed transportation system and the deepening of regional integration, intercity travel has become increasingly frequent and has emerged as an important field for studying spatial linkages and regional interaction among cities. Based on AMap Migration big data, we analyze the monthly rhythms and seasonal fluctuations of intercity travel throughout 2023. By examining flow characteristics at the national, city, and city-pair scales, this study reveals the monthly rhythm of intercity travel in China. Using K-means clustering and the temporal Gini coefficient, the study investigates the spatiotemporal patterns of intercity travel. The results show that intercity travel in China exhibits clear seasonality at the national scale, with peaks concentrated mainly in January, August, and October, and troughs concentrated in February–March and November–December. At the city scale, urban rhythmic patterns can be classified into four types: highly balanced, weak-rhythm, moderate-rhythm, and strong-rhythm. Economically developed large cities generally exhibit higher travel volumes and weaker seasonal fluctuations, whereas cities in western and northeastern regions tend to have smaller intercity travel volumes and stronger seasonal variability. At the city-pair scale, intercity travel with weaker seasonality is concentrated mainly within metropolitan areas and within the same province. These different types of cities and city pairs display marked differences in spatial distribution and travel demand. This study provides valuable insight into the seasonal patterns and spatial variation of intercity travel in China and has important theoretical and practical implications for urban transportation planning and policymaking.