Source: CGTN

The world's largest human migration officially kicks off on Thursday in China, as over 2.98 billion anticipated trips will be made during the 40-day travel peak.

Chunyun, known as the Spring Festival travel rush, not only means the magnificent sight of thousands of high-speed trains gearing up for over 400 million trips, but also that millions of city dwellers and migrant workers journey back home by all means of transportation.

Photo taken on Feb. 1, 2018 shows that people prepares to check in at Shenzhen East Railway Station in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo: Xinhua)

Getting a seat is a competitive affair. Some people wait in line for days and, even online, tickets sell out fast.

Every Spring Festival season, millions of people travel a combined 1.2 billion kilometers on trains, cars, buses and planes. That's an equivalent distance of Earth to Saturn.

The most prominent chunks of outbound trips come from Guangdong, Shanghai and Beijing. And the major destinations are the provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Henan. When the Spring Festival celebrations are over, the flow is reversed.

Photo taken on Feb. 1, 2018 shows that high-speed trains wait to be maintained in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Photo: Xinhua)

Fast developing infrastructure has made this homeward march much quicker for many. The total length of China's high-speed railway is 25 thousand kilometers. That's more than 60 percent of the global total. China's first self-developed "Fuxing" bullet train boasts a consistent speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

Every year, nearly 400 million trips are accomplished by train during the new year migration season. That means more than 100 passengers hop onto trains every second, which lasts for 40 days, non-stop. 

File photo shows millions of people in Shanghai Railway Station. (File Photo: VCG)

Photo taken on Jan. 31, 2018 shows that high-speed trains gearing up in Hefei South Railway Station in east China's Anhui Province. (Photo: VCG)

(Compiled by Chen Zilin)