High-speed, high-tech: Alleviating travelers during Spring Festival travel rush

Editor's note:

The world's biggest human migration during Spring Festival, or Chunyun, started today, which usually means jam packed railway stations and long travel days. However, technology such as face recognition and onboard WiFi as well as high-speed trains have made the trip this year more convenient and dramatically quicker. China Daily reporters visited several railway stations in Beijing to capture the experiences of travelers heading home or to other destinations to celebrate China's most important festival.

Photo taken on Jan 13, 2017 shows Zhang Li in Beijing South Railway Station. [Photo by Song Wei/chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing South Railway Station: Zhang Li, senior student from a Beijing university

Q: What is your destination? How long will it take you to get to your destination? Is this any different to what you have done in the past?

A: I'm going back to my home town Tongling (in East China's Anhui province). The travel time used to take me 10 hours by train and two more hours on a bus. But now the travel time has shortened to five hours thanks to the high-speed train.

Q: How did you book your ticket this year? Was this any different to what you have done in the past?

A: I booked it online this year, while my school usually helped us buy the tickets in previous years.

Q: Did you prepare Chinese New Year gifts for your family? What are they?

A: I brought some seaweed-flavored meat floss buns from a bakery shop near my school, as a New Year present for my parents.

Q: How will you spend your time while you travel?

A: I'm going to watch some South Korean TV dramas.

Q: What are your best wishes for the Lunar New Year?

A: I hope I could pass the post-graduate examination, and also wish my parents good health.