China News Agency, Beijing, January 20th, title: Ordinary and unusual, Chinese people welcome the Year of the Rabbit

　　China News Agency reporter Chen Xiaoyuan

　　As the Spring Festival is approaching, red lanterns are hung on both sides of the roads in Beijing, more customers are shopping for new year’s goods in shopping malls, and the number of hotel reservations in popular cities on travel platforms has increased significantly...Since the optimization and adjustment of epidemic prevention and control measures, the lives of people in Beijing and other places have been affected. Gradually "returning to normal", people are full of expectations for the upcoming traditional festival.

The picture shows that on January 20, in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, people buy goods in a supermarket.

(File photo) Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Wenhua

　　On January 7, the annual Chinese Spring Festival Transport started. As of the 18th, the country’s railways, highways, waterways, and civil aviation have sent a total of 480 million passengers, a decrease of 47.3% over the same period in 2019 and an increase of 47.1% over the same period in 2022.

　　This is the first Spring Festival when China's epidemic prevention and control has entered a new stage.

Recently, the overall epidemic situation in the country has been at a low epidemic level, and the "ordinary" taste of the new year has returned, and there are also some "unusual" details.

The photo shows passengers waiting in the waiting room of Beijing South Railway Station on January 19.

(File photo) Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhao Wenyu

　　During the Spring Festival, the virus is active and the human body's resistance is weak. Coupled with the high flow of people traveling, the risk of cross-infection is relatively high.

On social platforms, discussions about "should I go home during the Spring Festival" are very lively.

Some are eager to return home, some plan to travel to relax, and some plan to use their vacations to work to make money; some people worry that they may infect the elderly and children when they return home, and some people just plan to recuperate their health in the local area.

Being close to the hometown and feeling timid, young people have the "trouble" that they are afraid of being urged to marry and give birth.

　　Yu Nianjia, a 19-year-old courier from Henan, will stay in Shanghai to work during the Spring Festival, because "the team atmosphere is very good, and at the same time, I want to earn more money to make life better for the elders"; Xiaoshi, who is studying in Canada, plans to "Cloud Chinese New Year", post Spring Festival couplets, eat New Year's Eve dinner, and watch Spring Festival Gala programs with parents through video connection.

　　Of course, many people have already embarked on the journey back home.

Over the past few days, government departments, medical and health experts, and the media in many places have released warm reminders such as "Guidelines for New Year's Epidemic Prevention", "Home Health Tips", "Rural Health 'Medical' Relying", etc., hoping to help returnees celebrate the New Year in a healthy manner.

　　There are still service points on some road sections in southern China where the army returning home on motorcycles used to pass.

However, according to the monitoring of the traffic police department, during the Spring Festival in previous years, the number of motorcycles passing through Wuzhou, Guangxi and returning home for the New Year peaked at 250,000, but this year it is expected to be only 10,000.

With the continuous improvement of the national road network, high-speed rail and other facilities and the increase in the income of migrant workers, many people who used to ride motorcycles to return to their hometowns for the New Year now return to their hometowns by car or by bus or train.

The picture shows that on January 11, in Yuyuantan Park in Beijing, children who started their winter vacation life participated in the snow fun sports meeting in the snow park. The "rabbits" on the snow were cute and gratifying.

(File photo) Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng

　　Although many "Generation Z" like to "travel light", there are also many young people who have prepared specific gifts for their families.

　　Li Yan, a 24-year-old youth working in Chongqing, will return to his grandma's house in rural Xingtai for the Spring Festival.

In addition to buying Chongqing specialties such as bacon sausages for the elderly, she also bought anti-epidemic supplies such as oximeters and N95 masks; Ms. Qin, who returned to Guangzhou from Chongqing, bought 10 packs of hot pot bottoms, "My mother said this when she came to Chongqing. The hot pot at home is the best, but their hot pot base cannot be purchased online.”

　　During the Spring Festival holiday, many people who yearn for "poetry and distance" choose to travel.

According to data from the travel service platform, compared with the past three years, the number of people planning to travel during the Spring Festival this year has increased significantly.

　　According to the "2023 Spring Festival Tourism Market Forecast Report" released by Ctrip a few days ago, the booking volume of tourism products during this year's Spring Festival has increased by 45% year-on-year; Meituan data shows that Xishuangbanna and Dali in Yunnan, Sanya in Hainan and other places have become popular cities for Spring Festival travel.

The picture shows that on January 13, Dunhou Street Community, Haitangxi Street, Nan'an District, Chongqing, according to the tradition, pasted Spring Festival couplets and hung lanterns for traditional dwellings in the Dunhou slope section of Huangge Ancient Road.

(File photo) Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei

　　Going to Hong Kong and Macau to celebrate the New Year is favored by many mainlanders.

According to data from Ctrip, as of January 15, hotel reservations by mainland tourists to Hong Kong during the Spring Festival holiday increased by 557% year-on-year.

According to Qunar, the number of mainland people traveling to Macau during the Spring Festival holiday will also increase steadily.

　　The festive atmosphere in Taiwan is also getting stronger.

However, because the DPP authorities set up various unreasonable restrictions on cross-strait people's exchanges on the grounds of epidemic prevention, many friends who are separated from both sides of the strait expressed that they would pay New Year's greetings via video.

We generally look forward to an early "spring blossom" in cross-strait relations.

(Finish)