Chunyun provides a glimpse of China's reality
<p><span word="Eleven">Eleven</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="train">train</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Shanghai">Shanghai</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Spring">Spring</span> <span word="Festival">Festival</span> <span word="rush">rush</span>, <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="chunyun">chunyun</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ticket">ticket</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hard">hard</span>-<span word="seat">seat</span> <span word="car">car</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="seats">seats</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="available">available</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="result">result</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="squeezed">squeezed</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="right">right</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="forget">forget</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="restroom">restroom</span>; <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="occupied">occupied</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="passengers">passengers</span>. <span word="During">During</span> <span word="the">the</span> 24-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="journey">journey</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="drink">drink</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> - <span word="just">just</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="avoid">avoid</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="toilet">toilet</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="remember">remember</span>. <span word="Anyone">Anyone</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="China">China</span> - <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="frequenting">frequenting</span> <span word="five">five</span>-<span word="star">star</span> <span word="hotels">hotels</span> - <span word="should">should</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hard">hard</span>-<span word="seat">seat</span> <span word="train">train</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="chunyun">chunyun</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="once">once</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="instantly">instantly</span> <span word="realize">realize</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="planning">planning</span> <span word="policy">policy</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="add">add</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="journey">journey</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="interrupted">interrupted</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="snowstorms">snowstorms</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="delays">delays</span>. <span word="So">So</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="millions">millions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="home">home</span>-<span word="bound">bound</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="stranded">stranded</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="trains">trains</span>, <span word="buses">buses</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="railway">railway</span> <span word="stations">stations</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="through">through</span>, <span word="both">both</span> <span word="physically">physically</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mentally">mentally</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Guangzhou">Guangzhou</span> <span word="Railway">Railway</span> <span word="Station">Station</span>, <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="Southern">Southern</span> <span word="Metropolis">Metropolis</span> <span word="News">News</span>, <span word="passengers">passengers</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="allowed">allowed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="board">board</span> <span word="trains">trains</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="burst">burst</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="joy">joy</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="tears">tears</span>.</p><p><span word="Even">Even</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="complications">complications</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="weather">weather</span>, <span word="chunyun">chunyun</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="harrowing">harrowing</span> <span word="experience">experience</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Lunar">Lunar</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Year">Year</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tradition">tradition</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="makes">makes</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>. <span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="characters">characters</span> (<span word="logograms">logograms</span>) <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="ideal">ideal</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="computer">computer</span> <span word="input">input</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="holidays">holidays</span> <span word="puts">puts</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="incredible">incredible</span> <span word="strain">strain</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="transport">transport</span> <span word="network">network</span>.</p>
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