Homeward bound

By Chen Zhiyong | China Daily | Updated: 2007-02-13 06:53

Last week 22-year-old Jiao Yutao's face was a picture of disappointment as he walked out of the noisy and crowded tickets hall in Beijing Railway Station. After queuing for nearly four hours, he only managed to buy a standing-room ticket. This means he will stand for 12 hours on a train as he travels to his hometown of Jilin, Northeast China's Jilin Province, to spend Spring Festival.

Homeward bound

Looking forward to the festivities ahead, a mother and child settle down happily on the train leaving Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province on February 5.Cao Zhizheng

It was the second time he lined up at the railway station for a ticket. The previous day, he arrived there at 5 pm, two hours before the ticket box opened, but was told all tickets were sold out. So he asked for leave from work the following day to wait before the counter at 3 pm.

Jiao came to Beijing in 2003 to work for a bus repairing company. He said buying a ticket home is the most annoying part of Spring Festival.

He had searched for a ticket at many tickets-booking agencies and the reply he received was the same: "Sorry, no ticket."

Jiao said ticket scalpers were stationed all day in these agencies. "They told me that I could get a ticket from them if I would pay an extra sum of 50 yuan ($6)," he said. "I refused the offer because I hated them. If it was not for them, it would be much easier for me to get a ticket."

Despite the difficulties, his will to go home was stronger than ever. "Spring Festival is the time for me to reunite with my family. If I do not go home, the festival is meaningless," he said.

Homeward bound

It's standing room only for these passengers, all the way back home. File photo

Compared with last year's experience, Jiao said he was lucky. He did not even get a standing-room ticket after three consecutive days of waiting in long queues.

On the day before the lunar New Year's Eve, he had to pay a high price of 350 yuan ($45) to board a shuttle bus. "The bus was over-crowded. I had to sit on the aisle. The highway was narrow and slippery and the bus was shaking all the time," said Jiao, who still had a lingering fear about that dangerous journey.

In fact, for most migrant workers like him, who commonly labor in factories, at construction sites and service industries in big cities, Spring Festival is the only time in a year for them to journey home.

Acquiring a ticket is becoming more difficult as more young men from his hometown come to Beijing to look for job opportunities, he said.

The main attraction of big cities is of course, money.

Jiao, a car mechanic by trade, can only earn between 500 to 600 yuan a month in his hometown, half of what he earns in Beijing.

Jiao said he could save about 5,000 yuan ($640) after a whole year's hard work in Beijing. However, going home for Spring Festival costs about 2,000 yuan ($260), including travel expenses as well as money and gifts he gives his family members and friends. All in all, he feels happy with his present life and at least for the next few years he does not want to change his migrant life.

(China Daily 02/13/2007 page20)