China Travel
With the Year of the Rabbit approaches, railway stations in many parts of China are witnessing rising passenger flows, as people are eager to visit their families during the holiday of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan 22 this year.
In northwest China's Shaanxi Province, a special train for migrant workers set off on its first trip during the Spring Festival travel rush from the provincial capital city of Xi'an on Saturday.
The high-speed train D4207 runs between Xi'an and Emeishan City in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Attendants of D4207 have decorated the train to create a festive atmosphere.
"This is the second time that I have taken the special train. It's quite convenient for us migrant workers. We have also received Spring Festival gifts from the railway staff members," said a migrant worker from Sichuan.
To keep passengers entertained, a variety of cultural activities have also been staged both at railway stations and in train carriages.
In the slow train No. 6064 connecting Baoji City in Shaanxi and Guangyuan City in Sichuan, attendants staged song and dance performances, and wrote Spring Festival couplets and Chinese character "fu", meaning blessings and happiness, presenting them as gifts to passengers.
"We held such activities to greet the Spring Festival and create a festive atmosphere through the interaction between attendants and passengers. Wish our passengers a better new year," said Xiang Baolin, conductor of the train No. 6064.
The country's Spring Festival travel rush, the largest annual human migration worldwide, started on Jan 7 and will last for 40 days.