Chinese travellers recall horrors of overcrowded, snow-hit Chinese Lunar New Year journeys past
A massive snowstorm in 2008 caused long delays for many, but millions of migrant workers now believe daunting, once-a-year trip home on overcrowded public transport is finally getting easier
For the millions of mainland migrant workers all heading home at the same time in the days leading up to Chinese Lunar New Year, the often daunting, once-a-year trip to see their “left behind” children remains worthwhile.
However, for some people that have braved overcrowded trains and buses, and paid hugely inflated prices to ticket touts and food vendors for more than a decade, there are signs that nationwide travel during the Spring Festival is finally getting easier, thanks to improved ticketing allocation and more choices of transport.
READ MORE: Ah, the joys of Chinese Lunar New Year train travel: smelly instant noodles, cheesy feet and noisy children
It was so crowded that some people slept in the overhead luggage racks and others even slept in the washroom. I didn’t dare eat or drink much – a walk to the toilet only a few metres away would have taken 30 minutes
“I waited for two days and one night just to board my train,” Liu recalled.
“When the authorities knew we had to wait overnight, we were shuttled by buses to an abandoned warehouse at the outskirts of Dongguan.
“It was raining and extremely cold and my shoes were soaked. The only way to stay warm was to eat instant noodles – I think I had at least five bowls that night.”
After managing to board the train, the journey which would normally have taken 21 hours, took more than 24 hours.
“There were at least six people with all their baggage packed into each square metre of the train. It was so crowded that some people slept in the overhead luggage racks and others even slept in the washroom,” Liu said.
“I didn’t dare eat or drink much – a walk to the toilet only a few metres away would have taken 30 minutes.”
This year, instead of buying tickets costing four to five times their original price from ticket touts, as he did in 2008, Liu bought train tickets for himself, his wife and their four-year-old son, on the internet.
“We’ve spent everyday with our eyes glued to our mobile phone screens [since the Lunar New Year train ticket selling period began],” he said.
“A ticket is still hard to get, but at least buying one is a lot more convenient and fairer now.”
READ MORE: Bittersweet Chinese Lunar New Year holiday: migrant workers sent home early as factories struggle with economic downturn
Because of road closures during the snowstorm, the bus he took from Dongguan to Shaoyang city, in Hunan province, became stranded on an expressway.
We had no food and water [on the snow-bound bus], and children around us were screaming. Then people living in nearby villages starting coming out to the bus to sell us instant noodles, but at 10 times the usual price
“There were no shops nearby, we had no food and water, and children around us were screaming,” Sun said. “Then people living in nearby villages starting coming out to the bus to sell us instant noodles, but at 10 times the usual price.”
His bus ride, which should have taken 10 hours, lasted more than 24 hours.
This year, Sun made sure that he and his wife are taking the train home to see their “left-behind” children, aged 13 and six.
“I was waiting in front of the computer at 7:55am every morning for the period when the sale of tickets started at 8am,” Sun said while laughing. “It was like a competition, calculated in terms of seconds.
“With the new ticket sale verification system introduced this year, buying tickets online is now easier.
“Perhaps it has really helped to stop the ticket touts,” said Sun, referring to the new booking system launched by China Railway in December, which requires would-be travellers to log in with their personal details and answer a number of questions.
I had to stand up on a train for 12 hours straight, from 7pm to 7am. The carriage was so packed that my feet could barely touch the ground... There was a lot of fighting
This year, instead of taking public transportation, Liao, her husband, and their 11-year-old son will be taking a car for the 10-hour trip from Dongguan to their hometown in Changsha city, in Hunan province.
However, past horrors of travelling home for the holiday festival remain vivid in her memory.
“I had to stand up on a train for 12 hours straight, from 7pm to 7am,” Liao said when recalling one past journey between Guangzhou and Hunan.
“The carriage was so packed that my feet could barely touch the ground.
“When the train stopped at stations along the way, people outside forced open the windows and tried to climb in, while those inside would try to shut the windows. There was a lot of fighting,” she said.
