英文阅读：Chunyun provides a glimpse of China's reality
Eleven years ago, I took a train from Shanghai to Beijing during the SpringFestival rush, known as chunyun. I got a ticket in a hard-seat car, no other
seats were available. As a result, I was squeezed into a space so small I could
not turn left or right.
And forget about going to the restroom; it was occupied by as many as eight
passengers. During the 24-hour journey, I did not eat or drink anything - just
to avoid going to the toilet.
It was a trip to remember. Anyone who wants to understand China - of
ordinary Chinese, not just those frequenting five-star hotels - should get on a
hard-seat train during chunyun, at least once. For one thing, you will instantly
realize why China has a family planning policy.
I should add that my journey was not interrupted by snowstorms or delays.
So, I can imagine what those millions of home-bound people stranded in trains,
buses and railway stations are going through, both physically and mentally.
After days of waiting at the Guangzhou Railway Station, reported Southern
Metropolis News, passengers were finally allowed to board trains. However, they
did not burst into joy, but tears.
Even without the complications of bad weather, chunyun is a harrowing
experience. The Lunar New Year is part of a tradition that makes us who we are
as Chinese. Just as Chinese characters (logograms) are not ideal for computer
input, this most important of Chinese holidays puts an incredible strain on the
nation's transport network.
I am sure when our ancestors sat around a fire with the whole family they
had no idea what chaos family reunions could cause. Likewise, when Cangjie
invented Chinese characters 4,600 years ago, he could not have foreseen the era
of typewriters and computers. However, that is not a reason why we should
simplify things by getting rid of those elements our current infrastructure or
technology cannot accommodate. Science and technology exist to help us keep our
heritage, not to reduce us to an economically optimum existence that has no
richness.
That does not mean I am in favor of everybody making the journey home
regardless of circumstances. On the contrary, each person should weigh the costs
when making a decision. And this year, the odds are stacked against the
customary "I'll be home for the New Year".
When I was a kid - a time of shortages, this holiday meant new clothes and
enough food for several days. Now, most Chinese can live every day as if it is
the Spring Festival, and we realize it is not just the material things that make
us long for the season, it is the warmth of sitting around a big table with
family members and relatives - your parents whom you have not seen for 12
months, your aunt who doted on you when you were a toddler, and even your
high-school friend.
As our family structure keeps shrinking, we will probably see in our
lifetime the disappearance of big families, and we will recall with fond
memories the good old days when family members journeyed distances - some even
from abroad - to share New Year's Eve watching a television show and
feasting.
Spring Festival is a big money-spinner for many businesses, but for those
who take days off to spend with their families it has nothing to do with
economics. Yes, we give red envelopes, but they only add to the joy of the
festival. I wish everyone, especially those who have been through the
snowstorms, happiness in the coming year.
Email: raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn
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