The Largest Human Migration in History Expected
In China, as the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) approaches, crowds heading to their hometowns are causing train stations and airports to be packed with people.
According to major foreign media, on the 25th, the movement of travelers at Chinese train stations and airports is reaching its peak. Although the Spring Festival holiday runs from the 28th of this month to the 4th of next month, the weekend has already seen a surge of people traveling home.
It is expected that this Spring Festival will witness "the largest human migration in history." Chinese authorities forecast that during the special Spring Festival transportation period called Chunyun, the total number of interregional trips nationwide will reach 9 billion, marking a record high. Chunyun lasts for 40 days, from January 14th to February 22nd.
However, last year, China also predicted 9 billion trips during the Chunyun period, but the actual number of trips was about 8.42 billion.
Authorities expect that during this year's Chunyun period, railway and civil aviation passenger transport will exceed 510 million and 90 million trips respectively. Railway authorities have arranged thousands of special trains to meet passenger demand. For private vehicle travel, 7.2 billion trips are expected, accounting for about 80% of interregional travel, and highway traffic volume is also anticipated to reach an all-time high.
Meanwhile, the Spring Festival is China's largest holiday, celebrating the first day of the lunar calendar, and the holiday usually lasts about two weeks. The Spring Festival was also inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list last month. It is characterized by families scattered across the country gathering together to pray for blessings and ward off bad luck by hanging red lanterns and banners, and enjoying various customs.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
