Behind millions of dots, stories of longing

Homesickness puts some on road to success

Every year in early January or early February the world gets to hear of one of the planet's most remarkable migrations, as that great flock of beings called the Chinese head for the welcoming warmth of homes that are represented by millions of tiny dots on a map of their sprawling country.

According to the software company Tencent Holdings Ltd, which owns the instant messaging app QQ, about 53.3 million of its users left the four mega metropolises of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen for the Spring Festival last February, the great bulk of them presumably heading for their hometowns, and nearly 10.8 million did not return once the holiday was over.