Millions of Chinese had to say "sorry" to their loved ones on
Wednesday as the nation geared up to greet the Lunar New Year's eve. Some had to abandon their
trips home because of the worst winter in at least 50 years.
More than 12 million migrant workers chose to stay put in
southern Guangdong Province, which has about 30 million such
workers, according to the Guangdong Provincial Department of Labor
and Social Security.
In Shenzhen, neighboring Hong Kong, about 2 million migrant
workers expressed a willingness to stay, and in the financial
center of Shanghai, about 120,000 migrant workers chose not to go
home.
"I miss my little daughter very much. She is only one year and a
half. I can not wait to go home and see her," said Wang Xiaoli, a
toy factory worker in Guangdong's Nanhai City who is from
Pingdingshan, Henan Province, in the central part of the
country.
"But when I arrived at the Guangzhou Railway Station a few days
ago, I was astounded to see so many people waiting for trains, and
I couldn't get through the crowd," she said.
Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, with one of the biggest
concentrations of the country's migrant farm workers, is the
southern terminus of a trunk railway line that runs northward to
Beijing. The number of stranded passengers at the Guangzhou Railway
Station had at one point reached 600,000 after the weather
disrupted transportation.
"My husband called me from Henan to say that he and our daughter
are both doing well. He asked me not to feel worry or sorry but
just stay in the factory and be happy," Wang said.
More than 1,000 workers in the factory who came from beyond
Guangdong will stay put, like Wang. The factory has prepared a
variety of activities for them to greet the festival -- visiting
local parks, tug of war and a badminton contest, in addition to
feasts and cash, Wang said.
"Maybe I will go home a few days later, because, after all, the
weather has turned better and trains have begun running again," she
added.
Local governments have also planned cultural activities for
migrant workers who chose to stay, such as free movies and free
visits to local parks, museums, libraries, galleries and
exhibitions, and holding art performances and sports contests.
The local government in Shenzhen's Bao'an District organized a
group wedding ceremony for 12 couples from other parts of the
country on Tuesday afternoon. On the same day, another six
migrant-worker couples tied the knot in Putuo District, Shanghai,
in a ceremony organized and witnessed by district government
officials.
"My girlfriend and I both come from the countryside and we can
not afford a wedding in such a metropolis as Shanghai. I planned to
go home for the marriage but it was stopped by the snow," said Kong
Lujun, from Huai'an, eastern Jiangsu Province.
"I had never thought I could get married in Shanghai today. I
should thank the government," said Kong, whose bride is from
Tunzhou, eastern Shandong Province.
Activities were also organized elsewhere in China to ensure that
migrant workers had a happy Spring Festival away from their
hometowns.
In Changchun, capital of the northeastern Jilin Province,
migrant workers who couldn't get home for the holiday were told
that they would be able to attend two movies for free at a local
cinema before February 29. They could bring a pass from their labor
union and choose their show, including the blockbusters CJ7 and The
Assembly.
"We would fix a time with their employers so that they would not
miss seeing the movies due to overtime," said Li Shiyi, manager
with the Changchun Workers' Palace Cinema.
In Fuzhou, capital of the eastern Fujian Province, more than 500
migrant workers got together for a Spring Festival eve dinner,
which is traditionally eaten with the family. They were treated to
a show put on by the workers themselves and were able to call home
for free using six telephones.
"This is the first time I have eaten with so many people," said
Li Xiaobin, a 21-year-old from Sichuan province. "The dishes are
delicious. Although I can't return home, I feel so happy in such a
big family."
Wednesday also marks the start of the nation's week-long holiday
of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, the most important
festival for family gatherings in China.
The millions who were lucky enough to get tickets were rushing
home by plane, train and coach, or waiting to leave following the
resumption of transport services. They were eager to get home and
eat "nianyefan," or the evening dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve,
with relatives -- a tradition cherished by Chinese for thousands of
years.
According to the lunar calendar, 2008 is the Year of the rat.
The rat is the first of the 12-year cycle of 12 animals appearing
in the Chinese zodiac. The ox is second and the pig is last.
China has about 200 million migrant workers out of the country's
1.3 billion population. For many, the Spring Festival is the only
chance each year to see their families at home.
But this year, their trips were delayed by freak weather
featuring prolonged snow, rain and sleet. Since mid-January, this
weather pattern has downed power lines, covered roads with thick
ice, brought trains, buses and planes to standstill and stranded
millions of people.
Given the circumstances, migrant workers were advised by
officials to stay in cities where they work to reduce transport
chaos.
Also away from home were the power line repair workers who were
busy in snow-hit regions to help locals resume electricity supply
as early as possible.
On a snow-capped mountain in the Changtan village of Pingxiang
city in Jiangxi Province, about 40 workers from Shaanxi have worked
for four days.
"I miss my family, but in such a disaster, it is impossible for
me to celebrate the Spring Festival at home," said Lu Jianglou.
"So many people are still suffering from power shortage, I have
no mood returning home," he said.
The snow havoc, the worst in five decades, and even in a century
in few areas, has led to deaths, structural collapses, blackouts,
accidents, transport problems and livestock and crop losses in 19
provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, according to the
Ministry of Civil Affairs. More than 100 million people have been
affected, and at least 60 people have died in the freezing
weather.
Senior leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen
Jiabao, have gone deep into coal pits or visited railway stations
in snow-stricken regions to encourage workers to produce more coal
for power generation, to sympathize with stranded passengers and
urge local authorities to prevent price hikes.
(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2008)