'Chunyun'

China is in the midst of Chunyun ( 春 運), the period of extremely high traffic for all forms of transport that usually begins a few weeks before the Chinese New Year (February 7), and lasts for around 40 days.

The tradition of most Chinese people travelling huge distances to be reunited with their families during Chinese New Year causes a seasonal slough of despond. A huge rise in passengers -- particularly college students, who often study outside of their hometown -- makes train tickets difficult to obtain.

This year's heavy snowstorms in China's central and eastern areas have doubled the misery for a transportation system already running at capacity. The flurries have led to expressway closures, flight cancellations and millions more passengers swarming into railway stations. The railways are expected to carry a record 178.6 million passengers during the period, up from 156 million last year, according to China's Ministry of Railways.

The National Meteorological Centre has forecast more inclement weather in the central provinces of Henan and Hubei and eastern provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui.

Braving the elements and travelling cheek by jowl with fellow passengers are among a host of nuisances. Theft and fraud also increase during Chunyun, and there are more stringent checks on luggage. Bus companies, looking to capitalise on the increased passenger load, work their drivers to the point of exhaustion, causing a higher accident rate.