Hitting the road

Chang Rongli, migrant worker

It is easy to spot Chang Rongli in the crowded square of Beijing Railway Station.

With six gigantic plastic bags and two children, Chang and his wife were in the station for a whole day queuing for tickets. "It is the first time the family have been able to go back home together for years." he smiled.

Chang's family has lived in Beijing for four years, but usually only Chang goes back to their hometown in Hubei during the Spring Festival.

"Fares are just too high to afford," admitted Chang. "Even for seat tickets, the trip will cost us about 1,000 yuan, which is the family's monthly income."

Chang is now repairing bicycles in a university and his wife selling battercake in a food market. The two children are studying in a primary school for migrant workers.

Liu heard that from this year the government would waive all the tuition fees for primary schools in the countryside, which is a great relief for Liu and his wife.

"The aim of this trip is to send the children to school in my hometown," said Chang. "My parents will take care of them. They've missed their grandchildren, as they haven't seen them for a few years."

Chang queued for 20 hours to get four standing tickets. Though the family has to stand for about 18 hours on the train, everyone is happy. "Anyway we brought campstools," smiled Chang.

Xie Yunyun, student

The trip home for Xie Yunyuan is especially zigzagged.

"First I'm on a vehicle with lots of wheels, then onto four wheels, then three wheels and finally two," she explained.

Living in a mountainous area of Hunan, Xie will first take the 17 hour train journey to Changsha, then take a bus to a nearby town. From here she will take a motor-tricycle to the village, and finally ride a bicycle back home.

Last year she paid an additional 40 yuan, her week's food budget, to buy a ticket from touts which turned out to be fake. "I cried my eyes out," she recalled. Seeing other passengers have their purses stolen and girls harassed on previous journeys, she said that she "will be very careful, and stay awake all the way."