Audio By Carbonatix
Alibaba's mapping app Amap recorded more than 360 million daily active users on the first day of China's eight-day National Day holiday on Wednesday, setting an all-time high for the platform, the company said in a statement.
Alibaba and rival Meituan have been locked in a bitter battle for market share, with Amap moving away from its traditional focus on navigation and encroaching on Meituan's local-lifestyle territory by launching its own ranking of restaurants, hotels and tourist destinations.
In Thursday trade in Hong Kong, index heavyweight Alibaba jumped 4% after JPMorgan raised the tech giant's target share price to HK$240 ($30.85) from a previous HK$165.
Coinciding with the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, the National Day holiday this year has been extended from one week to eight days, fuelling a surge in travel. The holiday period, which ends this year on October 8, is traditionally one of the busiest in China.
In September, Amap announced a new function known as "Street Stars," which uses artificial intelligence algorithms to rank destinations for its daily active users.
The app was offering users 1 billion yuan ($140.43 million) in subsidies for coupons for ride-hailing or in-store services as part of the new service's launch.
Chinese consumers have long relied on apps such as Meituan's Dazhong Dianping to research restaurant recommendations, make bookings and more.
China's national railway recorded 23.13 million trips on the first day of the National Day holiday, up nearly 8% from a year earlier and setting a single-day record, state media CCTV reported.
Latest Stories
-
I don’t know how Tracy Shay got on my stage – Sista Afia
3 minutes -
Mahama visits GBC as part of scheduled tours to major media houses
16 minutes -
Roads of Peril: Amasaman residents appeal to gov’t to fix poor roads
21 minutes -
Ken Agyapong has the courage to confront Ghana’s broken system – Kwaku Kwarteng
37 minutes -
Ofori-Atta’s lawyers move to block deportation, seek US stay extension for medical treatment
46 minutes -
Fire Service officers who assaulted Class FM journalist identified and interdicted – President Mahama
48 minutes -
118 former NPP parliamentary candidates declare support for Bawumia in presidential primaries
49 minutes -
Create AI category in music awards – Wutah Afriyie urges
53 minutes -
Kennedy Agyapong’s victory secured with lead in six regions, says Rocky Obeng
59 minutes -
GoldBod losses are not a design problem, but an exchange rate policy issue – Gideon Boako
1 hour -
Franklin Cudjoe reveals he has been living with Parkinson’s disease for eight years
1 hour -
More GoldBod losses expected in BoG audited accounts — Dr Gideon Boako
1 hour -
Douglas Owusu set for Red Star Belgrade move in €2.7m deal
2 hours -
‘Our biggest mistake was spending without reforms’ — Kwaku Kwarteng admits NPP failures
3 hours -
CAA African Senior Athletics Championships: Ghana signs MoU to host event
3 hours
