BEIJING — Liu Zhiquan was waiting for a 30-plus hour train journey to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, some 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers) from Beijing, where he works in construction.
He's one of the hundreds of millions expected to travel to their hometowns as part of the world's largest movement of humanity, or ''chunyun'' as it's called in China, ahead of the Lunar New Year on Feb. 17.
''Things feel worse this year than last. The economy is bad and it's getting harder to make money,'' he said.
Liu chose a slower train to save money: a high-speed train would take just nine hours but costs more than twice as much.
Nonetheless, he chose to make the 30-hour journey to be home for the festival, the one time of year workers across the country take breaks and spend time with their loved ones.
China's government estimates that 9.5 billion trips will be made during the 40 day-period around the festival, a record high, according to information from the National Development and Reform Commission. Some 540 million of those trips will be made via train, and 95 million by air. The rest will be on the road.
In a country where workers are expected to put in long hours — including on weekends — and get few days of annual leave, the Lunar New Year festival is a precious time.
At a train station in Beijing, passengers were crowded in the waiting areas with large bags and suitcases as they waited for their trains. Others snacked on instant noodles, an easy snack as stations provide hot water for free.
