Chinese hit the roads to celebrate spring festival

By Fuat Kabakci
BEIJING (AA) - China's spring festival will mark the world's largest internal migration.
In addition to the Gregory calendar, China also uses a zodiac calendar based on 12 animals. On Feb. 5, China will enter the "Pig year", leaving the "Dog Year" behind.
With the start of the new year, a holiday of seven days will be announced on Feb. 5. Combined with some added holidays, this will be a 40-day break, the longest in the country.

Siao Zou, a traveler at the Beijing train station, said: "Spring Festival has a special meaning for the Chinese people. No matter how difficult it gets to find tickets, we need to spend the Chinese new year together [with family]."

Cang Saoley, another traveler, said he was going to Tangshan city to meet with his family.

"I missed my wife and child, it will be a nice surprise for them as they haven't seen me for a while," he said.
Lien Veyliang, the vice president of China's National Development and Reform Commission, said that they expected some 3 billion trips between Jan. 21 and March 1.