Asia

Chinese head home in world's biggest annual human migration

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A woman walks up the steps decorated ahead of the Chinese New Year festival in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. The Chinese Lunar New Year is the most important holiday for Chinese and hundreds of millions are expected to return to their hometown to spend the new year with their family and relatives. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (The Associated Press)

Railway workers hold back passengers at the Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan on the eve of the annual Spring Festival travel rush in central China's Hubei province, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. Officials expect that travelers will make almost 3 billion trips during the holiday travel rush that starts Friday and runs through Feb. 21. These trips include intercity flights, trains and local bus rides to villages for China's 1.4 billion people. (Chinatopix Via AP) (The Associated Press)

High-speed trains at a maintenance station wait to set out in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, Friday Jan. 13, 2017. Officials expect that Chinese travelers will make almost 3 billion trips during the holiday travel rush that starts Friday and runs through Feb. 21. These trips include intercity flights, trains and local bus rides to villages for China's 1.4 billion people. (Chinatopix Via AP) (The Associated Press)

Hundreds of thousands of Chinese travelers are packing airports, train and bus stations as they head home for Lunar New Year celebrations.

Officials say they expect that Chinese travelers will make almost 3 billion trips during the holiday travel rush that starts Friday and runs through Feb. 21.

Each year, it represents the world's largest seasonal migration of people as families reunite for China's most important traditional holiday. Also known as Spring Festival, it falls on Jan. 28 this year.

Travelers lugging large bags were rushing into the Beijing Railway Station on Friday morning to catch trains home.

Su Wenqi, a college student in Beijing returning to the northeastern city of Harbin, was looking forward to reuniting with family saying that: "After a busy year, I really miss them."