Passengers travel by train during last Chinese New Year holiday
The busiest travel period of the year kicks off on January 19 and will last until February 27 as millions expected to leave Dongguan for the Spring Festival.
As the upcoming Chinese New Year's Eve falls on February 2, it is estimated that the 40-day national travel peak will start on January 19. The numbers of travelers who leave Dongguan for the festival are expected to increase by 2% from the same 40-day period of last year, the local transport bureau estimated.
Up to 7,894 coaches and 94 trains will be in service during the 40-day travel peak, local transport officials said.
Local authorities have not yet announced how many people in total are estimated to move in and out of Dongguan during the busy period.
Spring Festival, also called the Lunar New Year, is the most important festival for Chinese people. It leads to mass migration across the whole country, as migrant workers, office workers and students leave big cities to spend a long holiday with their families and celebrate the Chinese New Year together.
For many migrant workers, it is the only opportunity to visit home all year due to the cost of travel.
