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Travel pamphlet offers top tips from netizens

By Zhang Ling (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-11 10:23

As the Chinese Lunar New Year approaches, the annual Spring Festival transport peak, or chunyun, is on us again. Getting your hands on homebound tickets from any major Chinese city is difficult for some of us.

It was reported that the volume of transport facilities increased by 9.5 percent from the same period last year. Even so, the transport capacity will still lag behind the ever-increasing demand of hundreds of millions of travelers who are determined to hit the road for family reunions.

Recently, a pamphlet helping people to deal with chunyun hit the streets. Entitled The Most Comprehensive Chunyun Brochure, it was initiated by the cyber-community MOP and consists of skills and true stories to guide people to get tickets easier. The stories were all provided by netizens.

What a great idea! Under the guidance of the brochure, I now know when and where to purchase the railway tickets, I have learned to identify the authenticity of a ticket, and I am better prepared with possible problems that I may face in an overcrowded train.

The brochure is indeed a real help as it provides detailed information a traveler may need. For example, for safety concerns during the chunyun season, the brochure advises that when you are waiting to purchase your tickets, you'd better bring enough but not too much cash with you.

You should also be vigilant against scalpers who may try to sell you their surplus or fake tickets to you under the pretence of a pregnant woman. The brochure also tells you the necessary foodstuff you need to bring on the train such as instant noodles and sausage to survive the long journeys.

A netizen wrote: "this brochure is a great shot in the arm of chunyun passengers. Although I have yet to get my tickets, I am confident of how to get started now."