China’s extended National Day holiday has given a major lift to Alibaba’s digital ecosystem, with its mapping and lifestyle app, Amap, attracting an unprecedented 360 million daily active users on the first day of the break. The milestone, announced by Alibaba on Wednesday, marks the highest-ever traffic level for the platform and underscores the scale of domestic travel during one of China’s busiest holiday seasons.

The National Day festivities, which this year coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival, run for eight days instead of the usual seven, ending on October 8. The extra day has amplified mobility across the country, fuelling both tourism and consumer spending. According to state broadcaster CCTV, China’s national railway system handled 23.13 million passenger trips on the opening day alone—an 8 per cent year-on-year increase and a record single-day volume.

Amap Expands Beyond Maps

Once known primarily as a navigation tool, Amap has evolved into a broader lifestyle platform, increasingly challenging rival Meituan in areas such as restaurant, hotel, and tourist attraction recommendations. In September, it introduced a new feature called “Street Stars,” powered by artificial intelligence to rank destinations for users.

To encourage engagement, Alibaba backed the service launch with 1 billion yuan ($140 million) in subsidies, offering coupons for ride-hailing and in-store purchases. This aggressive push is seen as part of a wider strategy to capture a greater share of China’s highly competitive local services market, where Meituan has long been dominant through its Dazhong Dianping platform.

Market Reaction

Alibaba’s share price in Hong Kong responded positively to the momentum. On Thursday, the stock rose 4 per cent after JPMorgan raised its price target to HK$240 ($30.85) from HK$165, citing the company’s strengthened consumer-facing strategy and rising engagement across its digital platforms.

Holiday Economy Boost

The record-setting usage highlights both the scale of China’s “Golden Week” economy and the shifting ways in which consumers plan their leisure activities. By offering integrated navigation, lifestyle recommendations, and spending incentives, Amap is positioning itself as not just a travel companion, but a comprehensive local-living app—directly encroaching on Meituan’s core market.

With millions of travellers crisscrossing the country, platforms that can capture user attention during peak consumption periods are likely to consolidate long-term loyalty. For Alibaba, Amap’s holiday surge may be a signal that its strategy of blending mobility, lifestyle, and commerce into one app is beginning to pay off.