BEIJING (AP) — Liu Zhiquan planned a more than 30-hour train ride to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, about 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from Beijing, where he works in construction.
He is one of hundreds of millions expected to travel to their hometowns as part of the world’s largest movement of humanity, or “chunyun” as it is called in China, ahead of the Lunar New Year on February 17.
“This year things seem worse than last year. The economy is bad and it is becoming increasingly difficult to make money,” he said.
Liu opted for a slower train to save money: a high-speed train would take only nine hours, but cost more than twice as much.
Still, he decided to make the 30-hour trip to get home for the festival, the one time of year when workers across the country vacation and spend time with their loved ones.
The Chinese government estimates that 9.5 billion trips will be made during the 40 days surrounding the festival, a record, according to information from the National Development and Reform Commission. About 540 million of these journeys will be made by train, and 95 million by air. The rest goes by road.
In a country where employees are expected to work long hours, including weekends, and have few vacation days, the Lunar New Year is a valuable time.
At a train station in Beijing, passengers packed the waiting areas with large bags and suitcases as they waited for their train. Others ate instant noodles, an easy snack since the stations provide free hot water.
Tian Duofu, a young woman who recently started working full-time in Beijing, said she was looking forward to the nine-day holiday, which starts on February 15. “It has become more difficult for a large family to get together. After I started working, I realized that such a long holiday is rare and we see each other less and less in person, which makes the Spring Festival meaningful.”
“New Year is the festival of the year, and if we don’t go home, we can’t enjoy the festive 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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This story was translated from English by an AP editor using a generative artificial intelligence tool.
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