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Beijing sees 55km-long traffic jam as tourists flock in for May Day holiday.

The worst traffic jam was on the Beijing-Tibet expressway, where cars heading out of town have been stuck since Thursday morning, and the queue was a staggering 55 kilometres long, the report said.

The Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, southwest of the capital, saw a 26-kilometre-long queue of cars. A section bound for Chengde, a popular leisure destination, had a 21-kilometre backlog.

The major congestions are partly due to a policy of the national traffic authority which exempts expressway tolls on all vehicles with seven seats or less during long holidays.

The frequent and predictable congestion and crowding during China's holidays has even prompted the government to propose alternative holiday schemes, in which citizens cannot take holidays all at the same time, but can choose from a schedule drafted by the government.