BEIJING: Crimson-clad gifts pile high on a crowded train as IT worker Sun Jintao embarks on his long-awaited homecoming.
He’s one of hundreds of millions migrating across China this week for the world’s largest annual migration – the Spring Festival.
Nine billion journeys are expected over the holiday, driven by the deep-rooted desire to share meals, honor ancestors, and usher in the Year of the Dragon. For Sun, three pandemic years of separation end tonight. “It was a hassle,” he recalls of previous holiday restrictions, “but this year, no matter what.”
With tickets sold out, passengers weave through overflowing luggage, the air thick with noodle steam and cigarette smoke. Yet, a common thread binds them: respite from city pressures and the joy of reuniting. Dong Hang, an 18-year-old migrant worker, echoes this sentiment. He works grueling hours, but “whether wealthy or poor, we all go home for the New Year.”
Lian Caiping, a student intern, can barely contain her excitement. “I couldn’t sleep last night,” she confesses. Beijing Station, expected to serve over 4.5 million passengers, crackles with anticipation. As the peak day approaches, 192,000 souls will pass through, each heart yearning for reunion.
Sun feels the same pull. Though the journey teems with pre-holiday tasks, he’s eager to “cook, show off my skills, and taste the hometown flavors my mother makes.” It’s more than food; it’s the taste of family, of belonging, a sentiment worth every crowded train ride.
