China’s annual Lunar New Year migration is under way
Chinese New Year travellers wait for their train at Beijing West Railway Station on January 31.
Hundreds of millions of Chinese will take trains, buses, boats and cars as they journey home to celebrate Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, which falls on February 10 this year.
Spring Festival is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar and many people travel for days to reach their families living in far-flung parts of the country.
The massive movement of people puts a huge strain on the country's transport infrastructure as migrant workers laden with bags of gifts, food and clothes cram into trains and buses, while cars clog the country's highways during the 40-day travel season.
For many people, the Spring Festival is their only chance during the year to see their families.
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.