At 5:30 a.m., Wang Hui waited with her family at Shenzhen North Railway Station, ready to board the first high-speed train departing at 6:08 a.m. from Shenzhen City in south China to Xi'an City in the northwest.
Despite building a life in the bustling metropolis of Shenzhen, Wang, a mother and permanent resident, feels a strong pull towards her hometown every year during the Spring Festival.
\"I've been in Shenzhen since university, and now I have my own family, but every year, as the Spring Festival approaches, I can't help but feel the pull of home,\" she said, smiling despite the early hour and the long journey ahead.
Another traveler, surnamed Zhong, was heading back to her hometown in Chenzhou, central China's Hunan Province. Having lived in Shenzhen for over a decade, she shared that the city's rapid growth had never lessened her feelings of homesickness during the Spring Festival.
\"I've planned this trip for a month. The Spring Festival is when you want to be with family and embrace the traditions that connect us,\" Zhong said.
The scene at Shenzhen North Railway Station is a microcosm of the massive annual migration known as \"Chunyun,\" where millions of people across the Chinese mainland journey home to reunite with their families. This year, the travel rush is expected to break records as people eagerly anticipate traditional celebrations.
Families like Wang's and Zhong's underscore the enduring significance of the Spring Festival in Chinese culture—a time for reunion, reflection, and renewal.
\"Home is where the heart is,\" Wang mused. \"No matter how far we go or how long we're away, the Spring Festival brings us back together.\"
Reference(s):
China's Spring Festival: Record-breaking travel, cultural feast
cgtn.com
