Spring Festival travel rush starts around China (1/5)

Passengers wait for trains at the Changchun Railway Station in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, Jan. 26, 2013. The 40-day Spring Festival travel rush started on Saturday. The Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 10 this year, is traditionally the most important holiday of the Chinese people. It is a custom for families to reunite in the holiday, a factor that has led to massive seasonal travel rushes in recent years as more Chinese leave their hometowns to seek work elsewhere. Public transportation is expected to accommodate about 3.41 billion travelers nationwide during the holiday, including 225 million railway passengers, (Xinhua/Lin Hong)