The lunar new year is a huge festival in most Asian countries - it’s really like western Christmas and new years eve in one big celebration.
For China’s millions of migrating workers it’s often the ONLY chance to see their family ONCE a year altogether. This year around 200 million are on the road trying to get to their loved ones - this is a huge number. That’s bigger then the whole population of Russia or half of Europe traveling. And because China is such a big country many people spend days getting home and back to work again.
That is why the snow catastrophe arouses such fierce response from many Chinese stuck at train stations and airports. They only vacation is currently fucked up and China experiences how fragile it’s transport and energy system really is. Many power lines have been knocked out - and the military is desperately trying to help people stuck in the cold to survive. So far 50 people have died.
God, I feel so sorry for the Chinese people, they are being screwed by their government as well as by nature. 