2015 - FABRE Cécile - Travel by train in china by China Studio

Travel by train in china

Transcultural Design Program in China Master’s thesis 2014 - 2015 Cécile Fabre

TRAVEL BY TRAIN IN CHINA The challenge of travelling during Chinese holiday

The four differents stages that the travellers will have to face during his travel.

Train ticket

Train station - Boarding

Journey

Train station - Detraining

ABSTRACT

春运,“chun yun”01, is the term for the many Chinese

people who travel around the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) time period. It’t the largest annual human migration in the world. Many Chinese people who have left their hometowns to work in other places in China must “return home” to visit their families and celebrate the holiday together. This happens every year and most people travel by taking the train. Train tickets can only be sold and purchased a maximum of 10 days before the desired departure date and there are only a limited amount of tickets available. This is one reason why many people must line up and wait many long hours (or days) so they can buy a train ticket to go home for Spring Festival. China’s railways are among the busiest in the world and it’s always crowded. Buy a train ticket; boarding and travel by train can quickly become an ordeal in China. During this thesis, I will be more focus on the slow train. It’s the most busiest and packed train during the chinese holidays.

01 - Spring Festival Customs http://ninhaochina.com, Described as the largest annual human migration in the world - 02/06/2014 5

FOLLOW THE FLOW

TABLE OF CONTENTS

11 15 23

Introduction Train accommodations 1.1 Different types of the train 1.2 Classes of service

Train station 2.1 The train ticket 2.2 Getting into the Station 2.3 Boarding Your Train

Chinese travellers: problems and needs 3.1 Who are the chinese travellers 3.2 Why people take the train? 3.3 The three golden weeks 3.4 Be ready to queuing! 3.5 The problems due to the spring transport

61 93

3.6 What travellers need to bring?

How Chinese travellers manage it? 4.1 Privacy 4.2 At home

Conclusion References Bibliography

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

During almost two years, I had the opportunity to

take class in Shanghai in a cross cultural program. More than studying, I have been diving into Chinese society. This deep dive was necessary in order to select a theme of research and conduct my thesis. I was firstly astonished by the crowd in Shanghai and how they all move in the city. Then I start to travel out of Shanghai by train, and I began to be more interested about how Chinese travel by train in this crowd. The subject of my thesis is «travel by train during the chinese holidays». I have tried to understand how Chinese people travel today and what are the concequences during the Chinese holidays. I had the opportunity to take the train in Europe, in Thailand and in Usa, but take the train in China is really different from my other experiences in the other countries especially during the Chinese holidays. Last October, during the National Day Holiday, I was on a slow train to Wuhan, as it turned out, I among the lucky ones who actually got a seat. Some passengers were standing or lying down in the hall ways for the majority of the trip. For the first 7 hours of the trip, it was literally impossible to move down the aisle. China Railway Networks is the most complex and busiest one all over the world. China Railway connects almost every city and town. The country has 103,144 km of railways02. 12

02 - China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (“CRCC”) , http://english. crcc.cn/

In China, it is estimated that for this year’s Spring Festival, there will be over 3.6 billion03 “journeys” by Chinese people trying to make it home by plane, train, bus, or anything in between. And those 3.6 billion journeys will happen over a period of 40 days. The reason that the roads and trains are so crowded with people is that millions upon millions of people across China’s biggest cities are considered migrant. According to the China Labour Bulletin04, around 260 million Chinese farmers have moved from their hometowns for work in the cities. These millions of people flock to metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai, or Shenzhen to find higher paying jobs than they could get at home. They spend most of their days in the city working long hours for salaries that net less than $500 a month on average. Half or more of that salary will be sent back to their families in their hometown. For most, the Spring Festival time is a nice respite from a long year of work, and a time to be reunited with family. The present dissertation trace whole researches I made which allowed to grasp and understand the concerns linked to this transportation nightmares.

03 - Chinese New Year: The World’s Largest Human Migration - http://www. chinausfocus.com/finance-economy/ 04 - China Labour Bulletin - http://www.clb.org.hk/en/

CHAPTER 1 Train accommodations 1.1 Different types of the train 1.2 Classes of service

1 16 18

Train accommodations

1.1 Different types of the train

In China, trains are categorized by service and speed,

which passengers can recognize by the different letters and numbers on the train (C, D, G, Z, T and K)05. Different letters indicate different types of the train. G - High-Speed EMU Train In Chinese: Gao Tie (高铁)

This is the fastest EMU train running long distances through China, its top speed could reach 350km/h. Beijing-Shanghai: 1,318 kilometers, 4-5 hours C - Intercity EMU Train

In Chinese: ChengJi Lie Che (城际列车) This is also the fastest EMU train in China, but runs for short travel distance between two nearby cities, such as the 120-kilomter’s Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway. D - EMU Train

In Chinese: DongChe (动车)

D train is also called Hexiehao (和谐号, Harmony) or bullet train in China. The designed top speed of D train is 250km/h. Z - Direct Express Train

In Chinese: Zhi DaTeKuai (直达特快) The ‘Z’ trains are now ranked as the second best category train. The top speed of Z-trains is 160km/h, which is the most efficient transport for long-distance travel. Generally, Z-trains are a direct train from a to b without a stopover. 16

05 - China Train Types http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/types. htm

Train accommodations

T - Express Train

In Chinese: TeKuai (特快) The T-trains have limited stops on the routes, especially in the major cities. The highest speed is 140km/h. K- Fast Train

In Chinese: KuaiChe ((快车) The top speed of K-trains is 120km/h, it has more stops than the T-trains. L - Temporary Train

In Chinese: LinKe (临客) This L trains operates only during the peak travel season, such as the Chinese Spring Festival and the National Holiday. These trains are not listed in the official fixed train schedule. It is not advised to take L-trains if you have other options, as they are known to be relatively slow and regularly subject to delays. PuKuai or PuKe

In Chinese: PuKuai (普快) or PuKe (普客) The train numbers for these 2 categories only consists of four digits and do not consist of any letters.. These trains are the slowest in all the categories, with many stops on their way. From Beijing to Xi’an:

G-Train takes 4 hours and 40 minutes, Z-Train takes 11 hours and 15 minutes, T-Train usually takes 12 hours and 44 minutes, K-Train needs 14 hours and 36 minutes.

Train accommodations

1.2 Types of cars

The hard seat (硬座)05.Often, hard-seat cars are

crowded, as they not only offer hard seats but also provide tickets for standing room. Thus, the ticket price for hard-seat cars is the lowest of all. There are five seats in a row, and they are divided into two sides by an aisle. One side has two seats, and the other, three. A small, shared table is set between two rows, and passengers sit face to face. Luggage racks are offered, but the toilets are often in poor condition. If you have other options for other cars on the train, don’t buy a hard seat in China. Hard seats aren’t as bad as they sound, but sitting in them for basically a 24 hour period does not do wonders for your back or legs either. Picture a slightly cushioned chair positioned at a 90 degree angle, three across, facing another three chairs directly opposite. If you’re on the other side of the train there will be two across instead of three

Soft seats (软座) are better than hard seats as regards

to cabin facilities. They are offered only on certain short-

distance trains. Tickets for standing room are not offered, so the soft-seat cars are not crowded. Besides air-conditioning, and clean toilets and washrooms, they are generally more comfortable. On some trains, three or four people will share a long soft seat, and the opposite side is the same. But things may be different

06 - China Train Seats and sleep http://www.travelchinaguide.com/chinatrains/types.htm

Train accommodations

in soft-seat cars for some newer trains that have two soft seat on each side. Passengers in these two rows share a table together, but soft-seat cars are not always used and during high season periods especially Chinese public holidays. They may even be replaced by soft sleepers and hard sleepers. For a journey of about 4–6 hours, a soft seat can be considered.

A hard sleeper (硬卧) is made of the same materials

as hard seats. There are six hard sleepers in an open

compartment, including two upper bunks, middle bunks, lower bunks and a table between the bunks at the window. Thus it may be noisy in the daytime, as passengers can walk around in the aisle. Each bunk is provided with a pillow, a sheet and a blanket. Usually, they are Ok and bearable for an overnight journey. The prices vary for the three kinds of bunks. The upper bunks are very uncomfortable, as space is very limited, with only about 60 cm of vertical space, but they are the cheapest. The lower bunk is the most comfortable, and sometimes the passengers in the middle and upper bunks may sit on the lower bunk in the daytime. Seats are available near the window in the aisle, which the opposite of the compartment offering. Washrooms and toilets are provided, which are cleaner and better than in hard-seat cars. Smokers can go to the corridor between cars to smoke.

Train accommodations

Soft sleepers (软卧) are recommended for overnight

or long-distance travel. Most passengers are foreign travellers or Chinese businessmen. The ticket prices are twice that of a hard sleeper. Four soft sleepers are set in an enclosed compartment. There are only upper bunks and lower bunks, so the space for both bunks is sufficient. Storage space is available. Western-style toilets, squat toilets and a clean washroom are provided in each soft-sleeper car.

«No seat» tickets are also available during peak

periods such as Chinese New Year, which allow passengers to stand in the hard seat carriages, leading to a very crowded environment.

CHAPTER 2 Train station

2.1 The train ticket 2.2 Getting into the Station 2.3 Boarding Your Train

26 38 38

Train station

2.1 The train ticket How to buy a train ticket?

First of all, pay attention to the China train tickets

issuing date is the most important thing for successfully book China Train Tickets, because train tickets could not be issued one or two month ago in China like in Europe. Usually the ticket-issuing period is within 12 days; it means the tickets will start to be bought 12 days ago. On Dec.31, 2012 07, the train authority made the announcement that the present ticket issuing period (12 days) will be extended to the issuing period of 20 days from Jan.04,2013. But the issuing date is changing at different cities, such as 12 days in Beijing, 10 Days in Xiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an etc. And when Festivals, especially the Chinese New Year Day come, the train authorities will make it shorter to period of 10-4 days, but when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not in the peak season, 12 days even 20 days ago. Where and how to buy it? There is different way and different place to book and buy a ticket. - At a Train Station - At a Ticket offices in the train station - Self Service Ticket Machines are available at train. (But it is only applicative for China citizens with their ID cards) 07 - China business world - http://www.cbw.com/ 26

Train station

generally against a small fee 5 Yuan/RMB is currently the standard fee) - On Official Website of China Railway Bureau 08. (Since late 2011, China Railway Bureau has provided railway tickets online booking service: www.12306.cn/mormhweb/kyfw/ to booking train ticket. Passengers can purchase the tickets at most 20 days before the departure time). - On Telephone. (There are totally 18 local railway bureaus provide train tickets booking services by telephone. Every railway bureau can book train tickets all over China. But careful, if you book a ticket before 12:00, you must collect the paper ticket before 12:00 the next day; book after 12:00, you need to collect the paper ticket before 24:00 the next day). Shanghai: 021-95105105. Changes Train Tickets and Cancellations

Since September 1, 2013 09,if you need to make

changes or cancellations to your train tickets, you can get to any train station at any cities with your passports and your paper tickets or E-ticket numbers. Every train ticket can only be changed once and there is no charging fee. Refund for any overpayment or a supplemental payment for any deficiency. But attention, because during the high season of the Chinese New Year from January 16 to February 24, 20% cancellation fee will be charged no matter when you cancel the ticket.

08 - China railway construction corporation limited - http://english.crcc.cn/ 09 - The national world - http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/asia-pacific/ china-begins-largest-annual-human-migration-on-earth

Train station

Train ticket during Chinese holidays

According to the Financial Times10, train tickets are

in such high demand during the holiday season that whole trains can sell out in seconds on the Internet. So companies have developed “ticket snatching” plug-ins that help Chinese travelers to have access to the national railway ticket website. Why? According to NPR11, the ticket site got 1.4 billion hits in a

single day last year and crashed several times. Battle to secure train tickets begins!

As China is the number one population country and

they like travel in the same time by train! The most important festival of Chinese is Spring Festival, before that, almost all people will need buy train tickets to go home. Stay with families especially in Festivals is from the deep culture of Chinese, they cherish the happy time more than earn money and suffer the pain to line up for days to get a train ticket. So getting tickets has been a top priority for them. Travelling during a national holiday means that you’re literally competing with hundreds of millions of others for that tiny piece of paper: the train ticket. Possibly the most annoying thing that I experienced in China is standing in line, or lack of one. Pushing, shoving and cutting in line to buy this train ticket…

10 - Financial Times - http://www.ft.com/intl/world/asia-pacific/china 11 - NPR, National Public Radio - http://www.npr.org/templates/search/index. php?searchinput=train+china

Train station

Some Chinese who can’t get train or plane tickets

find creative ways to get home for the holiday. China Daily12 reports that one adventurous soul took a scenic route home, using “48 buses, a ferry, a free ride and his own feet to carry

him 660km to his home town.” A student at Fudan University in Shanghai managed to cobble together13 a route home by buying eight separate train tickets. What think the China Railway Company?

Mr. Wang14 working in the Shanghai Railway Station

said, «You never see these people for 325 days of the year, and they all appear in front of you during these 40 days.»

Liu Jianmin15, vice head of Shanghai Railway, said that the traffic problems also stem from China’s mixed passenger and freight transportation. The idea of «passengers first» could not always be carried out, because coal and grain had to be carried, even during the Spring Festival. Railway staff also felt the pressure. Ticket selling time was prolonged to 10 hours a day, which meant many ticket sellers had to go to work at about five o’clock in the morning and return home at about 11 o’clock at night. Sellers often had sore throats after receiving hundreds of buyers and selling five to six hundred tickets for a whole day.

12 - China Daily - http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-12/30/content_19203053.htm 13 - Gadling - Welcome To Hell: Chinese Lunar New Year Travel Madness NPR, National Public Radio - http://gadling.com/tag/lunarnewyear/ 14 - Mr Wang, 53 years old, worker at the Shanghai Railway Station, interview, 15 - Liu Jianmin - http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Liu-Jianmin/313420534

Mr Huang

«I went to the station four times,» said Mr

Huang, who is a driver for a hardware company in Shanghai. «When I got to the window, there were

no tickets left. Later we learned we could buy tickets

online.» Mr Huang doesn’t understand Internet, so he had accountants at his company help. «But we couldn’t get on the site,» he said, «and even when we did, there were no tickets.»

Mr Zhou

Zhou Bofei, a young 17-year-old student who,

like many others unable to get or afford seat tickets,

spend 60 hours, 3 days and 3 nights, over 5000 kilometers continuously standing up in a train car to get home for

the Chinese New Year holiday. He already knew that his travel will be an ordeal, but he told me it was okay

because there is other passengers he can chat with, play card games, and pass the time with. He bought his parents and grandparents some clothes as gifts and wishes them good health.

Mr Li

Li Zhuqing is 48 years old this year. He was

responsible for buying train tickets for all 5 members of

his family so they can return home to celebrate Chinese New Year. Li buys tickets for his family every year and it is always difficult; but he told me this year (2014,

Chinese new year) it was even worse. “I couldn’t use

Internet, and none of my calls went through. I had no choice I bought my tickets at the booking office.”

Mr Zhang Despite all the different way to buy train tickets, Mr Zhang and his wife didn’t manage to buy a ticket during

the Chinese New Year holiday this year. «It is a brutal

experience. There are just too many people fighting online for train tickets at the same time» said Mr Zhang.

«All tickets was gone within a minute or so.» In fact, the official train ticket booking website has crashed a few times due to too much traffic. «I wonder how many years will we have to wait before everyone in China can

travel home comfortably for the Chinese New Year,» Mr Zhang said.

Train station

2.2 Getting into the Station

Buying your tickets is only half of the ordeal. Entering

the station adds another queue or line to your life. And then once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made it through that check point, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to put your bags through security and get frisked (sometimes literally!) by the security team to make sure that the phone is your pocket really is a phone. The reason has less to do with terrorism than with the fact the China has to deal with people transporting huge quantities of explosive chemicals; there have been several disastrous explosions.

2.4 Boarding Your Train

Once the train is called, (somewhere between 10 and

40 minutes before it departs), travellers have to line up and head through the ticket checking barrier (either automatic or a real person checks) and then have to head for the platform. There is plenty time to get there, because once travellers get to the platform, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get another ticket check.

During the Chinese holidays, as soon as the train pulls

into the station, all hell breaks loose. Hoping to get a seat, hard-seat passengers with no reservation charge at the train, often pushing exiting passengers back inside. Some would be travellers climb through the windows.

Train station

Drawing & observation - 16 May 2014 - People queuing and trying to board.

CHAPTER 3

44 44 45 49 54 58

hina has spent billions of dollars upgrading its rail infrastructure16, but migrants, students and others complain that the system is less accessible to

them now than it was before. The country’s much

vaunted high-speed trains, for example, are more expensive

and carry fewer people than the slower trains they replaced. A high-speed trip from Beijing in the north to Guangzhou in

the south would take eight hours and cost 850 yuan, for the cheapest ticket. A slow train, by contrast, would take more than

21 hours, but the cheapest tickets would cost 70% less — just 250 yuan. The 600 yuan difference is more than a week’s wages for the average migrant worker in Beijing. And with fewer seats available, competition for tickets is much more intense.

Migrant workers have also complained that a fancy new online-

ticketing service launched last year discriminates against them because they don’t have computers. The migrants, who make up

the bulk of China’s New Year travelers but have limited access to

computers, say Internet-enabled travelers snap up all the tickets online before the migrants can buy them in person at the train stations.

16 - cnbc - China wants to build the world a railway - http://www.cnbc.com/ id/102204779

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

3.1 Who are the chinese travellers ? Just like Westerners, who usually go back home for Christmas and (Western) New Year, for Chinese, the Chinese New Year is the time when people take a long and a well-deserved annual leave. So every people travel during the Spring Festival and go back to their villages and towns. Families and friends meet up, students travel between home and school, and millions of migrant workers who leaved their children behind go home after toiling all year long. Zhang, a 20-year-old Shanghai university student from Guiyang, told me that during his last travel he took 30 hours to get back home, which is a really unpleasant experience. But it’s a family time, so he can endure it. Lao Lu, 41, from Yunnan province, working as a handyman in Shanghai, earns 1,200 Yuan a month but spent 800 Yuan of it on a return ticket home. «If I took a hard sleeper, a return trip would cost me a month’s wage,» he said. «It’s not even worth thinking about!».

3.2 Why people take the train ?

The train is the most popular transport in China.

It cover almost all China with the 103,144 km17 of railways and it’s easy too travel cheap. Taking the train is often more affordable than flying and, in addition to taking up less day time, overnight trains save the cost of a hotel. Furthermore, all the trains depart every day. Traveling by train is still main method for Chinese people.

17 - echinacities - China’s Railway Network: Past, Present and Future - http:// www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/Chinas-Railway-Network-Past-Presentand-Future

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

3.3 The three golden weeks A - The «Golden Week» of National Day Holiday Golden Week, 国庆节 (Guóqìng jié) Period: October 1

Almost all Chinese people will have a seven-

day holiday at the beginning of October, because of the celebration of Chinese National Day. Generally speaking most Chinese people will take this government-given opportunity to travel to domestic cities, causing crowds everywhere and very busy traffic. B - The Labor Day Holiday Labor Day, 劳动节 (Láodòng jié) Period: May 1

Though the Chinese National Day holiday only

lasts three days (typically May 1 to May 3). The crowds at attractions, high travel costs, long waiting times, and busy transportation during this period may make your tour to China frustrating.

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

C - The Spring Festival or The Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, 春节 (Chūnjié) Period: 1st day of 1st lunar month The most important holiday for Chinese around the world is undoubtedly Chinese New Year. This celebratory event is equivalent to both Christmas and New Year’s wrapped together and is recognized by a quarter of the world’s population. The centuries-old legend on the origins of the New Year celebration varies from teller to teller, but they all include a story of a terrible mythical monster who preyed on villagers. The lion-like monster’s name was Nian (年) which is also the Chinese word for “year”. The stories also all include a wise old man who counsels the villagers to ward off the evil Nian by making loud noises with drums and firecrackers and hanging red paper cutouts and scrolls on their doors because for some reason, the Nian is scared of the color red. The villagers took the old man’s advice and the Nian was conquered. On the anniversary of the date, the Chinese recognize the “passing of the Nian” known in Chinese as guo nian (过年), which is also synonymous with celebrating the new year. Based on the Lunar Calendar18 The date of Chinese New Year changes each year as it is based on the lunar calendar. While the western Gregorian calendar is based on the earth’s orbit around the sun, China

18 - Lunar Calendar - http://www.chinesenewyears.info/chinese-new-yearcalendar.php

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

and most Asian countries use the lunar calendar that is based on the moon’s orbit around the earth. Chinese New Year always falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Other Asian countries such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam also celebrate new year using the lunar calendar. While both Buddhism and Daoism has unique customs during the New Year, Chinese New Year is far older than both religions. Like many agrarian societies, Chinese New Year is rooted in much a celebration of spring just like Easter or Passover. Depending on where rice is grown in China, the rice season lasts from roughly May to September (north China), April to October (Yangtze River Valley), or March to November (Southeast China). The New Year was likely the start of preparations for a new growing season. Spring cleaning is a common theme during this time, as many Chinese will clean out their homes during the holiday. The New Year celebration could even have been a way to break up the boredom of the long winter months. Traditional Customs19 On this day, families travel long distances to meet and make merry. Known as the “Spring movement” or Chunyun (春运), a great migration takes place in China during this period where many travelers brave the crowds to get to their hometowns. Though the holiday is only about a week-long, traditionally it is a 15-day holiday during which firecrackers are lit, drums can be heard on the streets, red lanterns glow at night, and red paper cutouts and calligraphy hangings are hung on doors.

19 - Chinese new year tradition - http://www.chinesenewyears.info/chinesenew-year-traditions.php

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

Celebrations conclude on the 15th day with the Lantern Festival. Many cities around the world also hold New Year parades complete with a dragon and lion dance. Food is an important component to New Year. Traditional foods include nian gao or sweet sticky rice cake and savory dumplings - which are round and symbolize never-ending wealth. The Spring Festival originally marked the end of winter and the coming of spring. It begins on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar year and ends on the 15th day of the first month with the Lantern Festival. The start of the Chinese New Year is on a different date from year to year. That’s because it’s based on the lunar. Presents are also given to children on the first day of the Spring Festival, but not in the manner most Westerners envision. Instead, on the morning of the Spring Festival, parents will give gifts to their children in the form of red paper envelopes containing money. Also, just as we would have Christmas dinner, so too do the Chinese have what is termed a Reunion Dinner. At this dinner, held the day before the official start of the Spring Festival, all family members, near and far, celebrate together. This custom is called “surrounding the hearth” as it was originally held around the family hearth. If anyone is unable to attend, a place is still set for them at the table.

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

3.4 Be ready to queuing ! Can’t wait, won’t queue20: China in a hurry.

During one of my observation in the Shanghai train

station, queue monitors pointed people towards various lines on the platform. And Chinese people queuing up reasonably well. But the problem was this - as soon as the doors of the train opens, the queue collapsed and everyone gathered around the doors to see who could get on first. And most of the time they queuing leave only a very narrow passage for alighting passengers (or even just stand in the middle and block people from getting off), which causes the whole process to take much longer than it should. An experience that I can compare with the one on the train station and who everybody had at least on time in the Shanghai subway during the rush hour, is that you’re used to wait in lines with some personal space around you, to have people push and shove up behind you or wedge their way in front of you just because you didn’t have your nose touching someone’s back. I can recall standing in a line for a train ticket at the station in Shanghai and seeing people, without a second thought or moment of hesitation, come straight to the front of the ticket line and attempt to purchase their ticket ahead of the rest of us in the queue.

20 - Queuing in china - https://shardsofchina.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/ queuing-in-china/

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

The practice of queue jumping, or the lack of an orderly admission process, seems almost incomprehensible. But, in fact, this is the way it’s been done in China since the communist time. People in such a fast developing country are often under high pressure and long waiting time fearing not being able to get what they queue for only make one’s temper worse. Queue jumping today comes down to impatience and not wanting to wait. You don’t want to wait for a bus ticket, to board your flight, or to order your food. You don’t want to wait for the next bus or train if you miss this one. You don’t want to come back the next day or the next week if they run out of an item at the local market or food stall. Today it’s more about time.

WAITING & QUEUING

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

3.5 The problems due to the “spring transport”

How to get home when a billion others are doing the same? The crowd. The size of China is roughly the size of the United States (3.7 million square miles). Its population is estimated at 1.32 billion people, while the population of the United States is estimated at approximately 310 million people. Therefore, in China, there are currently more than four times the people than there are in America. The population of China is the equivalent to the populations of the United States, France, The United Kingdom, Spain, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Argentina, Italy, South Korea and Japan combined. Furthermore, the gap between China’s urban and rural areas and the gap between the country’s developed eastern part and the less developed western part have drawn millions of farmers to cities, contributing to the phenomenon of Spring Festival transportation. “人太多” – Ren Tai Duo – is an idiom one is accustomed to hearing in China. It literally means “Too Many People” but its sub-context implies to a feeling of frustration expressed by a person who lives in the most populated country in the world. If you think Disney World is crazy at Easter, you’ve never tried to get anywhere in China during the height of the chunyun season. After waiting for hours at a train station ticket booth, Jia Wubin, a worker in Shanghai, couldn’t get a ticket with seating. So he had to stand for 17 hours on the train. «There was even nowhere to stand in the carriage. So I was standing in the 54

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

toilet,» said Mr Jia. «I didn’t have the chance to sleep at all.» But he said it was all worth it. «It is the family reunion time, I have to go home, no matter how difficult is it,» he said. Zhang Dan told me that she shares the same sentiment as Mr Jia. She said all she wanted after a year of working in another city was «to go home, see my parents and eat my mum’s home-cooked meal». People squeeze in to every available inch, one train conductor told of 1,800 passengers on a train, which normally would be full with 1,000 passengers. Passengers are lucky if they find somewhere to sit. Some trains are so crowded that using the lavatory is impossible and there are reports of migrant workers travelling home wearing adult nappies because there is no toilet access21. Even if there is no more available seat on train, China Railway’s station still sell some ticket. So the people who didn’t manage to get seats/sleepers want to sleep but have to stand in the aisles unable to sleep as well as constantly stand aside to let the passengers pass by.

21 - The independent - Two billion journeys in China’s own great migration http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/two-billion-journeys-in-chinasown-great-migration-524853.html

China in a hurry

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

3.6 What travellers need to bring ? Tissues, hand sanitizer, and ramen noodles is the basic. During all my travel in China, I notice that most Chinese passengers take an extra plastic bag full of food. Most Chinese passengers, however, prefer to bring their own food and eat in their carriages. What’s inside their bags? Chinese passengers like to bring instant noodle cups, fruits and bottled water (or just empty bottle because there is hot water to fill it in the train). They also take snacks like sunflower seeds and peanuts to kill time, crackers, dried fruit, almonds or dried fish, meat or seafood. Dried beef is a very traditional Chinese snack, it is called 牛肉干(niu rou gan). To Chinese travelers, the meal on train is expensive and unpalatable. It is not surprising that the prices for drinks, snacks and fruits on a train are twice or three times higher than usual. Boiled water is readily available for free in each carriage, so instant noodle cups are popular with most Chinese rail travelers, although it is said to be an unhealthy fast food. However, when everyone around you is eating their noodles filling the whole carriage with the same aroma, a cup of noodles is probably the best choice to satisfy your appetite. China’s global demand for instant noodles is the highest, according to the World Instant Noodles22. In 2013, China consumed more than 46 billion packets of ramen. So for the Chinese travellers instant noodle is easy to bring, simple to cook (all trains provide hot water) and tasty to eat. 58

22 - World Instant Noodles - http://instantnoodles.org/

Chinese travellers: problems and needs

A lot of Chinese people come home just once a year.

So during the Chinese holidays, they all bring gift. It’s really important for them comparable to the gift for Christmas in the West. So it’s usual to see a lot of Chinese people who are holding red box during their travel. In China, Red represents happiness. Popular gifts include various foods and children will receive money in red envelopes: the hongbao. In most cases, these hongbao23 (红包, hóng bāo) are given to children by their elder relatives or friends of the family.

They bring their own roll of toilet paper. Next to the

toilet, there is a separate room for shaving and makeup. This is near the toilets and will have from 2 to 3 sinks. Nothing is provided except water. So, Chinese people plan ahead and bring their own washcloth and towel and soap for the long travel. Chinese people take care of their hygiene despite the crowd and the difficult condition of the travel. At first I was amazed by the way some passengers put on their shoes. They never touched the ground with their bare feet. If they sit in the seats on an overnight trip travellers used to bring noise canceling headphones, neck pillow, and an eye mask. They bring anything to help them fall asleep! But they will also bring card, alcohol and snacks to share with other and to make their long travel more enjoyable.

23 - Hong Bao - Chinese Red Envelopes gochina.about.com 59

CHAPTER 4

How Chinese travellers manage it 4.1 Privacy 4.2 At home

62 68

How Chinese travellers manage it

4.1 Privacy What does privacy mean? Definition of privacy24: noun, plural privacies

1. The state of being apart from other people or concealed from their view; solitude; seclusion. 2. The state of being free from unwanted or undue intrusion or disturbance in one’s private life or affairs; freedom to be let alone. 3. Freedom from damaging publicity, public scrutiny, secret surveillance, or unauthorized disclosure of one’s personal data or information, as by a government, corporation, or Individual. 4. The state of being concealed; secrecy. http://dictionary.reference.com/ Personal Distance

Edward T. Hall25 (1914-2009) was an American anthropologist who developed the concept of ‘Proxemics’. He made a lot of research about how we divide our personal distance, how it’s affected by our culture and what is the difference between personal space and territory. He made a lot of intercultural studies He concluded that there is a direct correlation between social standings and physical distances between people. It means that when you consider someone to be in your ‘friend’s zone’ you literally prefer him in a certain distance, away from your intimate space, but close enough to be a friend.

24 - Definition of privacy - http://dictionary.reference.com/ 25 - Edward T. Hall - (1914-2009), anthropologist http://www.study-bodylanguage.com/Personal-distance.html

So he divided the personal distance we keep from other into 4 main zones. These zones serve as ‘reaction bubbles’ when you enter a specific zone, you automatically activate certain psychological and physical reactions in that person. These zones can vary and affected by many factors, most importantly by the context of our culture. Intimate Crowd What about crowded conditions? Edward T. Hall26 : “Obviously we don’t welcome these strangers to our intimate zone by will, but on the other hand we know that we have no choice in that matter and neither do them. So our brain found an elegant solution – we avoid treating them as other individuals in an act called dehumanization. Since we subconsciously choose to ‘ignore’ them as human beings, to feel more secure about ourselves, we automatically avoid any human contact with them: - We avoid eye contact –staring at the ceiling or floor. - We wear blank face expressions. - We make the minimal movements and gestures possible to avoid contact “ That’s why crowded public spaces often viewed as cold and distant, there is a big contrast between having so much people in one place and so little human contact. But that’s understandable, since we don’t have much choice in that matter – we just don’t feel secure enough surrounded by strangers standing so close.

26 - Edward T. Hall - (1914-2009), anthropologist - http://www.edwardthall. com/

How Chinese travellers manage it

What is privacy? Well, I think it depends on whom you ask. For me, privacy is the right to be let alone, or freedom from interference or intrusion. And I think, various cultures have widely differing views on what a person’s rights are when it comes to privacy and how it should be regulated. Without privacy my life would be hell. It would mean that I would be highly vulnerable to the control of others, I would lose my freedom, which may lead to inhibition, and tentativeness and I may be less spontaneous and I would be more likely to be manipulated. In France, privacy is really essential. French people think that give privacy to their children helps them to maintain their autonomy and individuality. But for Chinese people, privacy is different for two reasons.

First, it’s the tradition. It’s commonplace for multiple

generations to live under one roof, sharing a home and all the duties that come with maintaining one. The oldest generation often is relied on to assist with caring for the youngest, while the breadwinners labor outside the home. Because they used to live together in small spaces, they develop their own way of privacy. Secondly, most of Chinese people don’t have the choice and have to share their private space due to the price of the life.

How Chinese travellers manage it

Four could live in a room with less than 10 square meters of space. For example the life in the Lilong(里弄, Lǐ Lóng). What is the Lilong? The lilong27 (里弄, Lǐ Lóng) is a form of urban row housing that first appeared in Shanghai in the 1840’s and continued to develop according to the shifting demands of city residents until the early 1950’s. It was one of the first forms of mass commodity housing to develop in China. In Chinese, “li” means neighborhood and “long” means lanes. In the longtangs, neighbors cooked together, and usually ate dinner outside, where they could see what other families were eating. Toilets were shared. If there were quarrels between families, everyone in the neighborhood got involved. This is the way that most of the Chinese people live. So in the end, it’s not a big challenge for them to travel by train during the Chinese holidays, because they are used to living this way: together in community. Xiaoneng Yang28 who grow up in the Lilong: “All public spaces that could be used were turned into daily life “public halls”: the coal stove in the morning, the toilets, baths in the open…Cooling oneself bare-chested, cooking side by side, eating and living on the street, selling goods from roadside stalls, looking at others from neighboring windows, whispering to one other, all these formed a special practice of the cultural and human landscape in which it is good just to be alive.” 27 - The lilong - http://shanghaistreetstories.com 28 - Xiaoneng Yang is the Patrick J.J. Maveety Curator of Asian Art at Stanford University’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts.

How Chinese travellers manage it

The fact that China is the most populated country in the world affects the way of life in many different aspects. “Too Many People” impact everyday life in China in a way that is unfamiliar to the western world. During my first train travel in China, one of the first things I noticed is how loudly everyone talked. It seemed like everyone was angry. I watched two elderly ladies in what looked like an amicable discussion, but the decibel level made me think they must be angry at each other. But after few months, I soon learned that people are quite animated when speaking and when something in the story gets exciting or important, the volume is turned up. There was also a constant mix of music or lectures coming from the intercom. In the trains I took (Shanghai to Wuhan), there was no way of “muting”. One hour of lout music followed by a groups elderly person was getting on my nerves once and a while. On Chinese trains, noise is constant. There’s elevator music, crackling loudspeaker announcements, people babbling on cellphones and folks clearing their throats and horking. Reminding myself that it’s all part of the experience. The 4 October 2014, 7 a.m, I boarded a train to go to Yiwu 义乌 (Yìwū). The train is alive. Old men climb from their berths, stretch and yawn. Young women shuffle to the steel sinks at the end of the car to brush their teeth. The televisions mounted to the walls of each cabin are soon turned on - at full volume - playing a low-budget Chinese historical epic. Before long, the grumpy attendants are back pushing carts down the aisle, selling fruit, toothbrushes and fried chicken in vacuum-sealed packages.

How Chinese travellers manage it

You never know whom you may end up chatting with. Many people pull out a deck of cards before the train even leaves the station, and play until late at night. But even those who are traveling solo and at first seem to prefer to be left alone may approach you after a few hours and strike up a conversation. One time, on a train from Shanghai to Qīngdao, a man asked me a lot of questions about myself. I wasn’t sure how much to share with him, but soon I learned his motives when he asked me if I’d be interested in marrying his son, who was a taxi driver in Shanghai, I stop to give him more information about me. As kids, we were continuously told “don’t talk to strangers”, and this generation has been told the same thing. But of course, we can’t avoid meet new people. Conversation starters that may be popular in other cultures but don’t sit well with the French. These include questions involving money or personal inquiries such as “what is your religion?”, “are you married?”, “What is your current salary ?” Money is more taboo than sex in France29 as sex is more taboo than money in China. In France it is considered proper and polite to maintain almost constant eye contact with another person during a conversation. While in China extended eye contact can be taken as an affront or a challenge of authority. It is often considered more polite to have only sporadic or brief eye contact. 29 - Tradition, culture and taboo en/14Traditions5522.html

- http://traditions.cultural-china.com/ 67

How Chinese travellers manage it

4.2 At home China’s train are small tows in themselves. The environment shapes how people behave. Travel by train, It’s by far one of the best methods to learn how Chinese people live and what are their habits. Because they just travel like they are at their home. Wang Fuchun30 “Whenever I get on a train, I get a comfortable feeling, like being at home.» Beijing-based photographer Wang Fuchun produced this series of incredibly vivid pictures of Chinese passengers on trains. A railway worker-turned photographer, Wang has been documenting all sorts of unique moments on trains for decades. From steam locomotives to bullet trains, the past three-decades of changes for China’ s railways have all been recorded in Wang’s photos. «Trains are loaded with people’s hopes and regrets,» said 68-year-old Wang Fuchun. ”I feel really lucky to have been able to take photos on trains.» Wang Fuchun has many works themed on rail travel, such as his «Chinese on the Train», «The Steam Locomotives of China», «Black Land» and «Manchurian Tiger». Wang’s bond with trains first started several decades ago. Influenced by his elder brother, who had an established career in rail, Wang also became a railway worker in 1970 after he finished his military service. Due to his strong interest in arts, Wang was asked to take photos as part of

30 Wang Fuchun - photographer - http://www.china.org.cn/pictures/chinadocphotos/2009-06/04/content_17889414.htm

How Chinese travellers manage it

his job responsibility during the 1970s. This is how he got started in photography. By 1984, Wang was a professional photographer. However, the sudden shift in his career track didn’t stop him working for the railway industry. Wang began to record the history of China’ s railway by taking photos on the trains. Wang Fuchun often takes several train trips a month and walks up and down the carriages taking photos. In China, people don’t just ride a train, they live it and make it their home. The minute a train pulls from the station, sunflower seeds are chewed and tea endlessly gulped. Minimalist home comforts, but Chinese people know how to manage with it ! And it starts on music. As you may already know, Karaoke is popular in China. Well it’s more serious than you may think. They’ll blast away music on their cell phones and sing at 8 in the morning. It doesn’t seem to bother anyone. Another mysterious thing to me is the loudness of the Chinese. Once the lights are on, expect full on screaming. The best Chinese way to spend time: play card. It starts off calmly enough, but within a half hour it’s escalated into shouting and throwing cards and bumping me back and forth as they rake in money and fill the boxcar with laughter. And all around, seated on buckets and suitcases, hollering and pointing, spectators have gathered to watch.

How Chinese travellers manage it

They always find a way to sleep

I’ve always been amazed by the Chinese ability to

make do and not let me fall asleep any place. As night falls, the people in the train cars sleep in awkward positions. Chinese people have an amazing ability to sleep anywhere, anytime! To be honest it’s a gift, during my last train travel in October, I did 16 hours standing room only on a Chinese train, didn’t get a minute of sleep. I was very envious of all the Chinese people sleeping soundly in seemingly uncomfortable positions. Another time, from Shanghai to Beijing, I noticed my foot kick another foot under the seat, I automatically looked to the person I thought I kicked to apologies, but realized that it wasn’t her foot. I managed to get a look under the seat and there was the old man’s wife lying on some old newspaper, fast asleep...

There is always shoulders to sleep on

How Chinese travellers manage it

A car in the car

Snacks, food cart and the dining car On the train in China, food and drink can be purchased on the train. There are 3 ways to buy food on the train: - In Dining Carriage. There are plenty and various kinds of food on the Train. Almost all the trains in China have the dining cars, which could provide snacks, dinner, and cold drinks to passengers. The price of food do not included in the ticket prices. - From the Attendants. Attendants on the train also sell food and drink in kiosks. The kiosks are well designed that could pass coaches by coaches. And at the platforms, there are also people selling food such as eggs, noodles, snacks and drinks as water, milk, juice, etc. to passengers. - From Vendors in Large Stations. For large stations, there are lots of kiosks on the platform and the train will stay here for 20 to 30 minutes. You can ask the price and compare for the most reasonable ones. Occasionally a vendor came by selling toys for children, battery chargers, food and beverages. On the train, there is free hot water in very carriages that you can use your own cup to fetch water. You can also buy beer (not cold), liquor, packaged snacks (fish and chicken feet packaged in plastic bags), instant noodles, crackers, and prepared meals (three per day).

How Chinese travellers manage it

By far the best features of the trains in China are the hot water dispensers – despite the fact that they are a bit too close to the bathrooms for my liking, they really do make mealtimes easy! While there are toilets, sinks and mirrors on the train, there are no showers. During my travel to Beijing, a table and hot water dispenser was put to good use by our cabin-mates, the world’s sweetest old Chinese couple: A granddad and grandmother who sequentially offered me a bit of every single type of food they carried with them until we finally relented and accepted a cucumber. I can safely say that it was the first time I’ve ever peeled and eaten a plain cucumber on a train, and also the first time I’ve ever accepted a cucumber as a gift. I offered them some of my cookies in exchange, but they politely declined. People end up sharing beer or tea with each other, and the standard train snacks (fruit, seeds, chicken feet, etc.) get passed around. People end up sharing beer or tea with each other, and the standard train snacks (fruit, seeds, chicken feet, etc.) get passed around. The air smelled of spicy instant noodles. The crackling speakers occasionally played some patriotic sounding marching music, interspersed with announcements that were entirely unintelligible to me. By the way, breakfast and lunch time are a bit dangerous, especially if you are sleeping on the aisle, as everybody will be walking around with a pot of instant noodles full of boiling water.

How Chinese travellers manage it

In China, you eat breakfast at six, lunch at noon and dinner at six. People in China eat their dinner early, and are always amazed that I eat mine at eight. They will never skip one of the 3 meals even during their travel. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow this particular and unique moment of being on the journey affect their daily routine. They keep their life habits and have to eat at proper time. I noticed that some Chinese people do some morning exercise in the train, especially the middle-aged and elderly Chinese people, who have developed the habit of exercising each morning to improve their health. They walking backwards, striking their backs against big trees or clapping hands is a simple and convenient way to improve their health. And they will not let the journey affect their habits and routine. Why ? Chinese people are on the way all the time. They used to be creative about appropriating the space and changing it, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what they do in the train. They make it more confortable for them and bring. Their everyday life forces them to adapt to the space quickly. In particular during long train travel, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like live with them, be in their intimacy, and share with them. I have played cards, learned Chinese jokes from little kids, and been invited to dinner by fellow passengers.

10 Hong Bao - Chinese Red Envelopes gochina.about.com 76

How Chinese travellers manage it

Some examples who showed that travellers are in the train just as they are at their home: Do you apply makeup in public? In France, it just feels weird and uncomfortable to apply makeup in public, it seems like I’m ruining the illusion or something. I don’t mind if others do, but I just can’t bring myself to even touch up my makeup unless I’m alone. I did my makeup on the train. But only when I was sitting alone on my bed, I couldn’t keep a straight face if someone was sitting next to me! I always apply lip products like balm in gloss openly, but touching up eyeliner and eye shadow is something meant for the bathroom! But Chinese people don’t care if people look, no one seems cares about each other. They feel comfortable checking a compact mirror, reapplying lipstick, or pulling out hand lotion/sanitizer. They just think to look their best for whomever they are meeting. The way they eat in public. In China, reaching for food is totally acceptable as it removing food from one’s mouth and putting it on the table. Slurping loudly while eating, chewing loudly with your mouth open, speaking with food in their mouth are all normal behavior. Chinese people don’t pay too much attention to the “no smoke” signals and move to the spaces between the carriages to smoke your cigarette as Chinese people do. Smoking is seen as a manly thing and very few think of it as a health threat or as offensive.

How Chinese travellers manage it

The only thing that they do not in the train just as they do at their home is physical contact.

Chinese are not big on public displays of affection, you will rarely see couples kissing or making out in public. Shake hands but refrain from hugging, kissing, winking, patting or making physical contact. As a “friend”, you will find that men will hold hands with men and women will hold hands. This may be “weird” in the west, but it is a common, friendly practice for young people/adults in China. You may even have a friend of the same sex try to hold your hand at some point.

nyone and everyone who’s adventured across China on a train will know that it’s not just about

getting from point A to point B; it’s about the journey itself and the people you meet along the way.

Wang Fuchun31 took this to the next level with his series of incredible photographs that documented Chinese passengers on trains. So I decided to show his work because this photograph

exhibit how chinese people travel like being at home, and they are really more relevant than mine. It’s not really easy to take picture discreetly for a foreign girl with red hair.

Wang Fuchun likes to shoot in black and white because he believes it expresses a sense of history and change more than colour does, and that it creates a more abstract mood.

His photos not only give us a clear picture of China’s trains but also of Chinese society in general.

31 Wang Fuchun - photographer - http://www.china.org.cn/pictures/chinadocphotos/2009-06/04/content_17889414.htm

On the train from Lanzhou to Beijing, two Muslims kneels down at the trainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vestibule, praying to Allah, God in Islam. The journey donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affect their daily routine.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 1994.

On the train from Beijing to Urumqi, Xinjiang, service attendants lead body exercises for passengers to perk up from the 3-day ride.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 2000

On the train from Nanjing to Beijing, because the coach is too crowded for the boy to elbow his way to the restroom, his mother helps him urinate in a can.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 1992.

On the train from Xian, Shaanxi to Xining, Qinghai, the migrant worker who takes his baby son home for Chinese new year has to stand in the passageway.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 1995.

On the train from Guangzhou, Guangdong to Chengdu, Sichuan, a young woman plays traditional Chinese music instrument erhu, drawing attention from both the upper and the lower berths.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 1998.

On the train from Beijing to Shenyang, Liaoning, passengers play mahjong, a favorite pastime in China, to kill time.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 1994.

On the train from Jiagelanqi, Heilongjiang to Gulian, Heilongjiang, a man sleeps on the hard seat, shading his face from the sun with a fashion magazine, then still an exotic thing.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 1992.

On the train from Beijing to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, passengers used to sauna-like coaches are caught off guard by air conditioner newly installed on the train, and wrap themselves in seat covers to stay warm.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 2000

On the train from Wuhan, Hubei to Changsha, Hunan, a young man lies on the seatback for body stretch.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 1997.

On the train from Beijing to Shenyang, Liaoning, a family moments on a long train journey.

WANG Fuchun, Chinese People on the Train, China, 2000

Conclusion

CONCLUSION

This thesis was instrumental in providing the required

insights in order to answer the following question: How to overcome the challenges of travelling by train during Chinese holidays?

Throught this dissertation, I have been able to identity

the different challenges travellers are facing in China. The conclusions of this thesis show the principal aspect of travel by train during chinese holidays and all the difficulties he/she had. How the chinese government try to help the passengers to overcome to this situation?

China has a well developed and advanced train

infrastructure and has spent billions of dollars to upgrading it. But create high-speed railways is not the best solution to ease the overcapacity that plagues Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transport network. Currently in China, migrant workers and students are the main rail travelers. They complain that the system is less accessible to them now than it was before and the majority of travelers using trains are relatively sensitive to high ticket prices. What will happen to those on tighter budgets ? Specifically migrant workers who make up the bulk of train passengers, who may

not be able to afford the higher price of high-speed trains. The high-speed rail makes no sense to Chinese people, Because it is too expensive. The construction and the operation cost is too high so Chinese people can afford the price. How this experience of traveling in china affect my understanding of Chinese culture?

Travel by train it’s by far one of the good methods of

transportation in China and it’s a really interesting experience. It’s the best way to travel and, as I mentioned, such a fantastic way to interact with the locals. It can sometimes be a bit of an adventure. Traveling by train help me to experiments culture in more deeper way. In a little bit more then one year, I’ve travelled in China by train at least for 86 hours. I’ve tried soft sleeper, hard sleeper, standing ticket changed to hard seat and comfortable soft seat in a bullet train. The chance to see rural scenery, the sense of camaraderie and the opportunity to have lengthy the experience. Riding the rails isn’t just a way to travel China; it’s a way to experience it. For me travel by train is the best way to learn more about the Chinese people, their culture and share with them. Travel with Chinese people is like live with them, be in their intimacy. It allowed me to be able to understand all the problems around travel, train and holidays. And understand how they manage this situation by keep doing their routine and make their travel like they are at home.

References

REFERENCES Introduction

01 - Spring Festival Customs http://ninhaochina.com 春运 Chun Yun (Spring Festival Travel Season) Described as the largest annual human migration in the world - 02/06/2013 02 - China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (“CRCC”) , http://english.crcc.cn/ 03 - Chinese New Year: The World’s Largest Human Migration - http:// www.chinausfocus.com/finance-economy/ 04 - China Labour Bulletin - http://www.clb.org.hk/en/

Chapter 1

05 - China Train Types http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/ types.htm 06 - China Train Seats and sleep http://www.travelchinaguide.com/chinatrains/types.htm

Chapter 2

07 - China business world - http://www.cbw.com/ 08 - China railway construction corporation limited - http://english.crcc. cn/ 09 - The national world - http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/asiapacific/china-begins-largest-annual-human-migration-on-earth 10 - Financial Times - http://www.ft.com/intl/world/asia-pacific/china 11 - NPR, National Public Radio - http://www.npr.org/templates/search/ index.php?searchinput=train+china 12 - China Daily - http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-12/30/ content_19203053.htm 13 - Gadling - Welcome To Hell: Chinese Lunar New Year Travel Madness NPR, National Public Radio - http://gadling.com/tag/ lunarnewyear/ 14 - Mr Wang, 53 years old, worker at the Shanghai Railway Station, interview, 15 - Liu Jianmin - http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Liu-Jianmin/313420534 98

Chapter 3

16 - cnbc - China wants to build the world a railway - http://www. cnbc.com/id/102204779 17 - echinacities - China’s Railway Network: Past, Present and Future - http://www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/Chinas-Railway-NetworkPast-Present-and-Future 18 - Lunar Calendar - http://www.chinesenewyears.info/chinese-newyear-calendar.php 19 - Chinese new year tradition - http://www.chinesenewyears.info/ chinese-new-year-traditions.php 20 - Queuing in china - https://shardsofchina.wordpress. com/2012/01/11/queuing-in-china/ 21 - The independent - Two billion journeys in China’s own great migration - p.54 22 - World Instant Noodles - http://instantnoodles.org/ 23 - Hong Bao - Chinese Red Envelopes gochina.about.com

Chapter 4

24 - Definition of privacy - http://dictionary.reference.com/ 25 - Edward T. Hall - (1914-2009), anthropologist http://www.studybody-language.com/Personal-distance.html 26 - Edward T. Hall - (1914-2009), anthropologist - http://www. edwardthall.com/ 27 - The lilong - http://shanghaistreetstories.com 28 - Xiaoneng Yang is the Patrick J.J. Maveety Curator of Asian Art at Stanford University’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts. 29 - Tradition, culture and taboo - http://traditions.cultural-china.com/ en/14Traditions5522.html 30 - Wang Fuchun - photographer - http://www.china.org.cn/pictures/ chinadocphotos/2009-06/04/content_17889414.htm

Bibliography

101

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books & Thesis

- Patrick Whitehouse, China’s Railways, 1986, Broché. - Kristie Lu Stout, China’s great migration from ‘Hukou Hell’, 2013. - Paul Theroux , Riding the Iron Rooster, 1988. - Abel GJ, Sander N. 2014. Quantifying Global International Migration Flows. Science 343(6178): 1520 - 1522. - Interprovincial migration, population redistribution, and regional development in China: 1990 and 2000 census comparisons. The Professional Geographer 57(2): 295-311. - Davin, Delia. “Marriage Migration in China and East Asia.” Journal of Contemporary China 16, no. 50 (2007): 83-95. - Murphy, Rachel. How Migrant Labor Is Changing Rural China Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 2002. Websites

- Train in China: history, train life, new lines and great leap culture, http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat13/sub86/item315. html, 2013 - Travelling by train in China http://factsanddetails.com/china/ cat13/sub86/item315.html, 2011 - China Train Types http://www.travelchinaguide.com/chinatrains/types.htm - China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (“CRCC”) , http://english.crcc.cn/ - Wang Fuchun - photographer - http://www.china.org.cn/ pictures/chinadocphotos/2009-06/04/content_17889414.htm

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- Edward T. Hall - (1914-2009), anthropologist http://www. study-body-language.com/Personal-distance.html Documentary

- Lixin Fan, 归途列车 (Last train home), China, 85 min, 2009

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THANK YOU To Bowie, for travelling in China with me and for being an incredible chinese translator. To the all chinese people who travel with me and make all of my travels a splendid experiences. To Karolina Karolina Pawlik the teaching staff of the transcultural design program. To all of the chinese people I interviewed who trusted me enought to confide me. To all of my classmates and teachers for their support and friendship.

105

春运,“chun yun”, is the term for the many Chinese people who travel around the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) time period. It’s the largest annual human migration in the world. Many Chinese people who have left their hometowns to work in other places in China must “return home” to visit their families and celebrate the holiday together. This happens every year and most people travel by taking the train. Traveling by train has inflicted torture on many ordinary Chinese people through the limited availability of trains, large volumes of migrant populations and overcrowded carriages. In this dissertation I will explain how Chinese people travel and how I spent time observing all sorts of unique moments on trains.