高峰期

• Pinyin: gāo fēng qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 高 (high); 峰 = 山 + 夆 (mountain peak); 期 = 其 + 月 (period, time)

Meaning

Peak period; rush hour; the time when demand, activity, or traffic is at its highest point.

Used in contexts like traffic (交通高峰期), tourism (旅游高峰期), business (业务高峰期), and energy consumption (用电高峰期). Describes periods of maximum load or demand. Contrasts with 低谷期 (trough period) or 低峰期 (off-peak period).

Examples

1. 每逢春节前后，各大交通枢纽都会迎来一年中最繁忙的旅客出行高峰期，运力压力极大。 Around the Spring Festival each year, major transportation hubs face the busiest travel peak of the year, putting enormous pressure on capacity.
2. 互联网零售平台在双十一促销期间进入销售高峰期，单日交易额往往创下历史纪录。 During Singles’ Day promotions, online retail platforms enter a peak sales period, and single-day transaction volumes often hit record highs.
3. 夏季用电高峰期期间，电网公司需要启动应急预案，以确保城市用电的安全稳定供应。 During the summer peak electricity period, the power grid company needs to activate emergency plans to ensure safe, stable power supply for the city.

Usage Guide

Context: traffic, business, tourism, infrastructure

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 为避开早晚通勤高峰期，许多上班族选择错峰出行，以节省在途时间。(To avoid the morning and evening commuting rush hours, many office workers choose to travel outside peak times to save on commute duration.)
• 航空公司在寒暑假旅游高峰期通常会增加航班班次，并相应调整票价策略。(Airlines typically increase flight frequency during the summer and winter holiday travel peak periods and adjust their pricing strategies accordingly.)

Don't Say

• 我的工作进入高峰期了 — acceptable informally, but for personal workload use 繁忙期 or 业务旺季 for greater precision

Origin & History

高峰 (peak) + 期 (period/time)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal