Years. We were all on our way home.
Thousands of miles away. The crowds are the same.
The Spring Festival is the largest periodic migration of human beings.
It carries the ardent hope of thousands of wanderers to return home.
There is such a group of people.
They are. "Retrogrades" on the way home
The "absent guests" at the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner table
They are engaged in different professions.
But there is a common name.
Spring Festival "escort".
In the course of decades of Spring Festival.
They gave up their small homes for everyone.
Just to make our journey.
Safer, more comfortable and welcoming.
During the Spring Festival in 1983, the staff of Shanghai Railway Station prepared a small trolley on the platform to help passengers transport luggage. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Liuren.
During the Spring Festival in 1992, students from Chengdu No. 22 Middle School in Sichuan Province helped passengers carry their luggage at the Chengbei Bus Station. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Xie.
During the Spring Festival in 1994, members of the "Free Water Delivery Team" of Xi'an Railway Station delivered water to passengers. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Ming.
On January 31, 2000, in order to ensure the safety of the Spring Festival, the employees of Changsha Railway Station braved the snow to clean the tracks and overhaul the forks. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Long Hongtao.
On January 22, 2003, Zhang Yunying (front left), a young woman from Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, who worked in Sanhe Plastic Products, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, happily got a post-holiday return ticket from the Spring Festival Service Team of Nanchang Railway Bureau. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Chunyuan.
On January 24, 2007, at Yinchuan Railway Station, two female railway policemen paid for a mother and son who had lost their tickets and sent them on the train. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ziheng.
On January 28, 2008, at Zhengzhou Railway Station, passengers buy a hot meal on the platform. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Ming.
On February 1, 2008, a driver from Suqian City drove to the Nanjing Long-distance Bus Terminal to support the Spring Festival transportation. On the same day, more than 110 passenger cars mobilized by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Communications from passenger transport companies in various cities in northern Jiangsu, where the pressure of the Spring Festival transportation is relatively low, came to the Nanjing long-distance bus terminal in the snow to help evacuate the stranded passengers here and send them home for the Spring Festival as soon as possible. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Shen.
On January 19, 2011, on the platform of Harbin Railway Station, conductor Li Fusheng stuck to his post in the snow. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jianwei.
On January 7, 2012, the cleaning workshop of the Beijing passenger section was wiping the glass of the new Spring Festival passenger train. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Zhaoming.
On January 9, 2012, workers carried food in the warehouse of the comprehensive workshop of the Nanchang passenger section to ensure the first train. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Ke.
On January 26, 2013, in the square of Nanning Railway Station in Guangxi, a police officer held an umbrella for passengers in the rain. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Xiaobang.
On January 20, 2014, in the washing and loading workshop of the Yinchuan passenger section of Lanzhou Railway Bureau, the female washing workers worked overtime to clean the bedding on the train. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Peng Zhaozhi.
On January 25, 2018, members of the ice team of the Luoyang Public Works Section of China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group worked in the Guanyintang Tunnel in Sanmenxia, Henan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An.
On January 25, 2018, ground staff at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport de-iced and snowed a large passenger plane to reduce the aircraft's detention time. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Fei.
On February 1, 2018, due to the cold weather, Bing Yuyong, a line worker in the Mohe Line Workshop of the Jiagedaqi Public Works Section of China Railway Harbin Bureau Group, warmed his hands between work. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Kai.
On January 21, 2019, on the K4186 passenger train from Fuzhou, Fujian Province to Guang'an, Sichuan, chef Lin Wei (left) serves dishes. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Song Weiwei.
On February 12, 2019, in the Qingliangzhai Mountain area of Wuhan, Hubei Province, power workers rushed to repair the transmission tower covered with thick ice to ensure the power supply of relevant sections of the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiao Yijiu.
On January 16, 2023, the staff carried out disinfection and cleaning operations on the EMU trains that arrived at the Hongqiao EMU Application Station of the Shanghai EMU Depot. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xiang.
On January 23, 2024, near Fuyuan Station, members of the Fuyuan Work Area team of the Qianjin Town Line Workshop of the Jiamusi Public Works Section of China Railway Harbin Bureau Group carried out winter line frost damage maintenance operations. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song.
On January 26, 2024, workers of the Fuzhou Public Works Section worked on the cable-stayed cable of the Pingtan Strait Highway and Railway Bridge at a high altitude. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Yi.
They put the winter sweat.
Integrate into the return journey of the reunion of ten thousand families.
They guard with all their hearts.
Pave the way home with warmth.
Rain and snow are coming. Don't be afraid.
Escorts "have always been there."
Guarding your and my reunion journey.
If only I could meet them.
Please remember to say something.
You have worked hard and Happy New Year".
Planner: Lan Hongguang, Wang Jianhua, Li Ga.
Co-ordinator: Fei Maohua, Zhou Daqing.
Host of this issue: Zhang Cheng, Miao Mengqi (intern).
Poster, **Zhang Cheng.
Visual Design: Kang Yifei (Intern).
Editor: Zhang Lei, Zhou Daqing, Zhang Cheng
Old ** studio.
Xinhua News Agency Photography Department.
Links to previous issues.