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Editor’s note: China’s adjustment and optimization of epidemic prevention will create favorable conditions for the recovery of the international air transport market and tourism, writes a veteran journalist in China Daily.
Despite concerns from some epidemiologists and virologists that large-scale human activity could rapidly spread micron and subspecies across the country, hundreds of millions of people living far from home are packing their bags to return home for spring festival family gatherings. .
Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in January 2020, the Spring Festival family reunion tradition was stopped three years ago. People are then advised to celebrate the festival in their hometown (or city) and avoid traveling unless necessary.
But now that the government has eased anti-epidemic restrictions that allow people to move freely, hundreds of millions of people are returning home to connect with family before and even after the seven-day Golden Week holiday.
It is estimated that 2 billion trips will be made during the Spring Festival this year. Before the outbreak, the data for 2019 will be close. People made 2.98 billion trips during the Spring Festival travel season.
Although hundreds of millions of people still return to their homes for a family reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve – which falls on January 22 this year – many of the holiday’s traditions have changed.
Trains and long-distance buses were the most popular means of transportation two decades ago, it took about 24 hours for a train to travel the 1,300 kilometers between Beijing and Shanghai, and trains were limited and train tickets were available. A ticket nightmare during the Spring Festival.
Those who could not get train tickets had to take long-distance buses home. But the bus journey was tiring, as it took about 48 hours for one bus to cover the 1,700 kilometers from Shenzhen to Chongqing.
Now, people have many choices. A resident of Beijing can reach Shanghai in less than six hours by booking a seat on a high-speed train, while a resident of Shenzhen can fly to Chongqing in two hours. And during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday, those who choose to return home will be exempted from paying expressway tolls.
Visiting relatives, friends and colleagues with gifts like fruits and cakes was an important part of the celebration. My favorite memory of the Spring Festival as a child is enjoying such delicious foods. But joint visits are fast becoming obsolete, as people now send holiday greetings and virtual gifts via WeChat.
Family reunion parties were the dream of family members, especially children of three decades ago. Although food is still scarce and people can’t get enough food, parents use almost all the ingredients they have to prepare dinner at home once a year, hoping that it will bring good luck to the family in the new year.
Such family gatherings are still popular on Lunar New Year’s Eve, but they are held in restaurants or hotels in cities, for which one needs to reserve a table a month in advance. But these days, although the food is better prepared and tastes better, there is a lack of compassion and emotion at the dinner table. For most, a Spring Festival family reunion dinner is just like any other restaurant dinner.
The Spring Festival practice of exploding fireworks, known to ward off evil, has long been banned in most urban areas because it creates both noise and air pollution and is a fire hazard. But for most people, a spring festival is not complete without fireworks. Many people choose to drive out of town to stay in a village for a couple of days so that they can watch the fireworks and “enjoy” the sounds.
In addition, in the past, during the seven-day holiday, many people went to foreign destinations for vacation. Their travel plans were frustrated by epidemic prevention and control measures for three years. But the world will likely see more Chinese travelers this Spring Festival. And while some of the traditional Spring Festival customs have been lost, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the newly added customs will make the festival even more fun and exciting.
kangbing@chinadaily.com.cn
The author is a former deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily.
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