Unexpected Return: People Returning Early Causes Heavy Traffic Across Mainland China

During the Chinese New Year holiday, the rush of people returning to work in the cities has already begun on February 1. Trains and highways throughout the country are filled with crowds of people heading back to cities for work. Many grassroots workers from the Pearl River Delta region have decided to return early this year. Some out-of-province workers mentioned that they are trying to avoid the peak return travel period and also want to start working early to earn money due to the poor economic situation.

Many workers, like Zeng Yan, who went back to her hometown in Hubei for the New Year, are preparing to return to Shenzhen on the third day of the Lunar New Year. Zeng Yan, 27, and her husband work in Pingshan, Shenzhen. To avoid the peak travel period on the fifth and sixth days of the Lunar New Year, they have decided to leave on the fourth day.

Similarly, many migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta region are choosing to return early. Xiao, a man in his thirties from Huanggang, along with his sister, works in the automobile sales industry in Zhongshan, Guangdong. They decided to start their journey back on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. Xiao mentioned that the weather is still relatively warm, so they are leaving early to start work as soon as they reach their destination.

Chen Xiaoguang, a furniture designer in Foshan, Guangdong, is also planning to ride his motorcycle back to Foshan from the countryside on February 1. He received a large order before the New Year and wants to return early to complete the order after reuniting with his family for the New Year.

A financial blogger in Guangzhou pointed out that this year’s Lunar New Year travel rush is “unusual.” The return travel peak appeared as early as the third day of the Lunar New Year, causing traffic jams on highways and expressways. He believes that migrant workers are returning to the cities early because they are truly in need of money and want to seize the opportunity to work and earn.

Some netizens also expressed that this year feels “a bit unusual.” They noticed that there were no fireworks from the second day of the Lunar New Year, and many people started returning to work on February 1. They also observed that many shops were already open on the third day of the Lunar New Year, whereas they usually open on the sixth day.

According to China Railway Wuhan Group, starting from February 1, there has been a rapid increase in the daily passenger flow, with up to 100,000 people traveling per day until February 4, the last day of the Chinese New Year holiday. Tickets from Wuhan to northern, eastern, and southern cities for the upcoming days are nearly sold out. Wuhan Railway Bureau added 92 extra temporary passenger trains yesterday.

Guangzhou Railway Group also stated that starting from January 31, the travel demand for family visits, tourism, and work has been increasing, and a significant rise in return passenger flow is expected from February 2, reaching its peak on February 4.

The national railway group reported that on February 1, the national railways are expected to transport 13.3 million passengers, with 791 additional passenger trains being operated. Furthermore, there were traffic jams on the highways from Hunan to Guangdong on February 1. Slow-moving traffic was also reported on the Hangzhou-bound lanes of Hanghe Expressway and Hangxinjing Expressway.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the total cross-regional personnel flow across the country on February 1 is estimated to be 308 million people. Of which, 290 million people are expected to travel by road, and civil aviation passenger traffic is estimated to be 2.38 million people.