China's railway stations and airports have seen the biggest influx of travelers ahead of the coming New Year as millions of people return home to be with their families on holiday in what is expected to be a record annual migration.
Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake, begins on Wednesday.
In the 40-day period that begins before, during and after the holiday, more than nine billion inter-regional trips, on all modes of transportation combined, are expected to be made, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Train and air travel is expected to “significantly increase” this year, Xinhua said.
The Ministry of Transport has said it expects 510 million train journeys and 90 million journeys during this period.
According to China Railways, which has added thousands of trains to meet demand, Saturday was a “big peak” at stations ahead of the holiday.
It said it used data from ticket sales and waiting lists to predict and manage availability.
With many people working and studying in regions other than their own due to good opportunities, there are many people migrating to the region for the New Year holidays.
Many factories have already closed for the holidays, such workers return home earlier than the rest of the population.