Chinese Endure New Year Travel Rush for Taste of Home

Passengers gather at the Shanghai Hongqiao railway station in Shanghai on Feb. 3, 2024, during peak travel ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon, which falls on February 10. People are seen at Shijiazhuang train station on Feb. 6, 2024. A couple rests on the floor as they ride a train from Beijing to Shijiazhuang on Feb. 6, 2024. People ride on a train at Shijiazhuang train station on Feb. 6, 2024.

On a crowded train laden with crimson-colored gifts for loved ones, IT worker Sun Jintao is heading from Beijing to spend the Chinese New Year holiday with his family for the first time in years.