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People in China will make 3 billion trips in the next 40 days to celebrate Lunar New Year, the world's largest annual human migration

James Pasley,James Pasley   

People in China will make 3 billion trips in the next 40 days to celebrate Lunar New Year, the world's largest annual human migration
Business1 min read
Travellers wait for their trains outside the entrance to Beijing railway station in the Chinese capital on January 10, 2020, as people begin to head for their hometowns ahead of the Lunar New Year.
  • For 40 days from January 10 to February 18, China celebrates the Lunar New Year Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year.
  • China's government estimates people will take 3 billion trips to celebrate in the largest annual human migration in the world.
  • This year it could be especially congested as the holiday overlaps with university students' winter holidays.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

There's no worse time to travel in China.

From January 10 to February 18, for 40 days, China is celebrating the Lunar New Year Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year. This year it could be especially congested as the holiday overlaps with university students' winter holidays.

Trains, planes, roads, and ferries will be filled to the brim as people journey home to be with their families.

One of the big reasons for the mass movement is that China is filled with workers who live in rural towns but work in the cities. Many of them, estimated to make up 20% of the Chinese population, head home for the celebrations.

Here's what the largest annual human migration in the world looks like in photos.


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