Snow delays Chinese return home for Spring Festival by Steph Ball
China has been left reeling this week, struggling to cope with the deluge of snow and rain which has hit the length and breadth of the country. The snow has blighted the journey for millions as they return home to celebrate the “Spring Festival”.
The Spring festival is the biggest and most important festival of the Chinese calendar, previously called the Chinese New Year. It was called "New Year" in the past as according to the lunar calendar it is the first day, of the first lunar month, marking the beginning of a year.
With the Chinese Spring Festival looming, millions have begun their journey home, only to find road and rail services severely disrupted. The last two weeks has seen an onslaught of severe winter weather crippling the country, described by residents as the coldest and snowiest weather in a decade. Nearly 40,000 passengers alone were left stranded at different stations on the snow-battered railway linking Beijing and the southern Chinese metropolitan city of Guangzhou. Air services did not escape either with some flights being cancelled.
With millions also left without power and water, the country is struggling to meet its domestic needs amid the likelihood of further power shortages. On Friday, China’s Transport Minister ordered a temporary stop to any coal being exported. Instead, it ordered railways and other transport networks to make hauling coal and food supplies a priority across the country over the coming weeks.
The forecast for the days ahead is not looking good with China's weather forecasters warning of further heavy snow falls.
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