The Spring Festival in Chinese culture is a time for family reunions and is regarded as the country's most important traditional holiday.
According to the lunar calendar, the Year of the Tiger will start on February 14 this year.
The Ministry of Transport predicts there will be some 210 million travelers during the 40-day traffic peak from January 30 to March 10. Their annual return home is considered to be the single largest modern human migration on Earth.
Passenger A: It's difficult to buy a ticket. I've been queuing here for two days.
Passenger B: I'll go to Lanzhou. I bought a standing-room-only ticket the day before yesterday and now I'm looking for a seat ticket.
This year Chinese authorities have implemented a system to try to control scalping. Real-name verification is required at 37 railway stations during the holiday rush.
The pilot program requires passengers to show their ID cards or other identification documents when purchasing tickets at train stations in Guangdong, Hunan and Sichuan provinces, because millions of migrants from inland Sichuan and Hunan work in Guangdong, which is known as China's "factory for the world."
Since the number of railway passengers will hit 5.25 million daily, or 9.5 percent higher than last year, the Ministry of Railways is adding more trains and ticket counters to meet the demand. |