Massive crowds will travel for the Spring Festival

World Today

Railway workers hold back passengers at the Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan on the eve of the annual Spring Festival travel rush in central China’s Hubei province, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (Chinatopix Via AP)

The rooster is ushering in a new year, and that means big crowds across China.

CGTN’s Frances Kuo reports.

It’s estimates that over the 40-day travel period this year, the Chinese will make nearly three billion journeys—that’s up more than two percent from last year.

Most of the trips are being made by car—as 85 percent plan to hit the roads, others are choosing a quicker option—trains.

The china railway corporation predicts 356 million trips will be made by rail—up nearly 10 percent from last year. Younger travelers like a faster option—about 70 percent of those under 25 years old will opt for high-speed rail.

To meet the demand, China has more than doubled the supply of railway routes over the past seven years.

To book a ticket in the past, many would pack into train stations—and pull an all-nighter to snag tickets. But now people are turning to the web—more than 70 percent of railway tickets were bought online this year.

Last year, the largest number of people left from Beijing, Shanghai, Gangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan.

Travelers say the hustle and bustle is worth it, because for many, this is one of the few times in the year they will visit their hometowns and their families.