At 5:30 a.m., Wang Hui stood at Shenzhen North Railway Station with her family, waiting to board the first high-speed train from south China's Shenzhen City to northwest China's Xi'an City, departing at 6:08 a.m.
A mother and permanent resident in the metropolis, Wang has built her life in Shenzhen since university. Yet, each year as the Spring Festival approaches, she feels the irresistible pull of her hometown.
\"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, Ms. Zhong, was heading back to her hometown in Chenzhou, central China's Hunan Province. Having lived in Shenzhen for more than a decade, she shared that the city's rapid growth has never diminished 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.
For many residents like Wang and Zhong, returning home during the Spring Festival is an essential tradition, a time to reconnect with family and celebrate shared cultural heritage.
Reference(s):
China's Spring Festival: Record-breaking travel, cultural feast
cgtn.com
