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By AP with Associated Press
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China’s government estimates that 9.5 billion trips will be made during the 40 day-period around the Lunar New Year on 17 February – a record high, according to information from the National Development and Reform Commission.
Some 540 million of those trips will be made via train, and 95 million by air. The rest will be on the road.
In a country where workers are expected to put in long hours – including on weekends – and get few days of annual leave, the Lunar New Year festival is a precious time.
People brave 30-hour train journeys to visit family
Liu Zhiquan was waiting for a 30-plus hour train journey to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, some 2,000 kilometres from Beijing, where he works in construction.
He’s one of the hundreds of millions expected to travel to their hometowns as part of the world’s largest movement of humanity, or ‘chunyun’ as it’s called in China.
“Things feel worse this year than last. The economy is bad and it’s getting harder to make money,” he said.
Liu opted for a slower train to save money: a high-speed train would take just nine hours but costs more than twice as much.
Nonetheless, he chose to make the 30-hour journey to be home for the festival, the one time of year workers across the country take breaks and spend time with their loved ones.
‘The new year is the festival of the year’
At a train station in Beijing, passengers were crowded in the waiting areas with large bags and suitcases as they waited for their trains. Others munched on instant noodles, an easy snack as stations provide hot water for free.
Tian Duofu, a young woman who recently started working full time in Beijing, said she was looking forward to the nine-day holiday, which begins on 15 February.
“It has become more difficult for a big family to get together. After I started working, I realised such a long holiday is rare and we see each other less and less in person, which makes the Spring Festival significant.”
“The new year is the festival of the year, and if we don’t go back home, we won’t be able to enjoy the festival atmosphere,” said Tian Yunxia, a woman from Henan province who runs a breakfast stall in Beijing. “I want to go home to see my children, my grandchildren and my husband.”
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