Every lunar New Year, China's railway system is tested severely. The crowded trains filled with passengers resemble cans of sardines. Other means of transportation—such as airplanes and long-distance buses—are also crammed with people. Many experts and scholars believe there are some hidden social problems—such as provincialism, the structure of China's urban and rural areas, allocation of resources and barriers created by the hukou (registered residence) system—behind China's amazing peak traffic each
year during Spring Festival.
Many experts and scholars believe the stress placed on China's transportation infrastructure every Spring Festival is the result of several factors—including the inadequate communications and transportation capacity, the imbalance in social development and the current allocation of resources. A large number of farmers who work in large cities rush home during Spring Festival, which puts pressure on the transportation system. Farmers, who cannot find jobs in their hometowns, travel to large, economically developed cities to make money. That indicates the imbalance of economic development in different areas contributes to the population mobilization.
The key to resolving the pressure being placed on the transportation system during the festival is helping migrant workers integrate into their new communities. If migrant laborers enjoy equal rights and interests and if the barriers created by hukou no longer exist, the migrant workers, along with their families, will be happy to settle down in the large cities where they work. Despite their strong sense of provincialism, they will not go to the trouble of returning home every year.
