China Chronicles December 30, 2012
- Snow stymies travel plans of early birds
HEAVY snow swept through central and northern China yesterday, grounding aircraft, halting trains and causing icy conditions on expressways.
The winter's blast created misery for early bird travelers hoping to beat the upcoming travel rush for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Passengers stranded at airport terminals, railway stations and long-distance bus stations waited for conditions to improve.
The railway operator issued a warning early yesterday, saying that trains, including high-speed bullet trains, would be running at slower speeds for safety reasons in areas - mainly in northern and central China - affected by heavy snows.
Travelers were advised to check updated schedules.
Among services affected was the newly opened Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed line - the world's longest high-speed rail line. The 2,298-kilometer link went into full operation on December 26. Other major routes, such as Shanghai-Beijing and Beijing-Tianjin, also suffered long delays and cancellations.
On the Beijing-Shanghai route, 16 bullet train services were canceled yesterday and more than 30 others suffered long delays, ranging from more than one to almost six hours. The line was scheduled to have 144 services running yesterday.
Trains to neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang also faced delays due to the weather.
"I chose the train over flying because I was concerned flights might be delayed because of the snow," said a passenger, surnamed Sun, stranded yesterday at Shanghai's Hongqiao Railway Station. "I never figured that the train would be delayed too."
Passengers vented their frustrations about the weather and delays on Weibo microblog.
"I couldn't get a ticket refund on the railway's online ticket system," complained one customer. Passengers were asked to go to railway stations for refunds.
Snow also affected 30 airports around the country, with planes grounded and passengers stranded. Some airports, such as Yanji in Jilin Province and Weifang in Shandong Prov! ince, were closed by the bad weather.
Frozen roads
Major air hubs, including Shanghai's two airports, reported delays. About 100 city flights were affected by yesterday afternoon.
Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian posted on his Weibo account that he had been ready to fly to Jinan, capital of Shandong Province, but was delayed as Jinan airport was closed. The Guangdong Southern Tigers star thanked fans for their greetings and messages.
And the Beijing Ducks basketball team saw a four-hour road journey to northern Liaoning Province for a game take 10 hours.
Other areas, such as central Shandong Province, were affected by frozen roads.
The lead-up to the Spring Festival on February 10 will see tens of millions of people travel to their family homes in what has been called the world's biggest annual migration.
While the rush officially starts on January 26, some early bird travelers had been hoping to get home this weekend.
Meanwhile, Shanghai traffic authorities urged motorists to drive carefully, saying the wintry conditions will continue today.
Port operations were halted in Shanghai's Yangshan Deep-water Port yesterday due to strong winds at the mouth of Yangtze River.
- Schools policy benefits Shandong migrant kids
A NEW education policy issued early this month has enabled migrant worker Qin Lihong to make long-term plans for her family.
Qin finally decided to settle down in Qingdao, in east China's Shandong Province, after living there for eight years, because the provincial government now allows children of migrant workers, like her daughter, to take the college entrance exam there even if they are not permanent residents.
Since different provinces adopt different textbooks and teaching and exam systems, having to take the entrance exam outside the province where the students have studied may put them at a huge disadvantage.
Exam in hometown
"Our household registrations are not in Qingdao, so our daughter would have had to take the exam in our hometown instead of here, which meant the whole family would have to move back for the exam," said the 32-year-old saleswoman at an electronic appliance store.
Qin and her husband, who earn 5,000 yuan (US$794) per month, say they like prosperous coastal city Qingdao.
"That's why we were always wavering between going home or staying here," she said.
Under the new policy, their daughter, who is in her fourth year of primary school, can continue her education in Qingdao.
In Shandong schools, the number of children from migrant families totaled 745,100 last year, a year-on-year rise of 17 percent.
"We adopted this policy hoping to improve the education equality among all students in the province," said Si Jingui, an official in charge of student affairs under Shandong's local education authority.
"People in China should enjoy equal rights and interests in terms of politics, the economy and culture, regardless of whether they live in cities or in the countryside," said Xie Chuntao, a professor with the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
The report to the 18th CPC National Congress has pledged to safeguard social fairness and justice, as "fairness and justice are inherent! requirements of socialism with Chinese characteristics."
The report said the CPC will work to establish a system guaranteeing social equity, featuring "equal rights, equal opportunities and fair rules for all."
- 27 hurt as Macau ferry strikes buoy
TWENTY-SEVEN people were injured when a ferry struck a buoy at Macau Outer Harbor yesterday, the local police authority said.
The ship, carrying 175 passengers and eight crew, had left for Hong Kong at 12:15am. It had been sailing for 15 minutes when it hit the buoy.
One passenger said he had been resting in his seat when he heard a loud bang and was jolted by the impact. He said that he escaped injury as he had his seat belt on, but that passengers who had not fastened theirs were hurt.
The ship sailed back to the harbor. Police said 27 passengers were injured, with 25 sent to hospital. Most had scratches and bruising.
An initial inquiry has been launched.
- Curio Street
- we love to boogie... on a saturday night
- Dragonfly / Huizhou District, Huangshan / Anhui Province / PR China
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André Vogelaere - 李安杰 has added a photo to the pool:
© André Vogelaere. All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, not be used on websites or blogs, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission.
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View Awards Count - 27 injured in ferry collision in Macao
TWENTY seven people were injured in a ferry collision in Macao Outer Harbor today, according to sources from the local police authority.
The passenger ship carrying 175 passengers and 8 crews, leaving for Hong Kong at 12:15 am, knocked down a buoy about 15 minutes after departure.
A passenger said, he heard a big sound when he was taking rest and he was not hurt with his seat belt on. But many people who didn't fasten their seat-belts get injured during the collision.
The ship sailed back to the ferry after the collision. The police authority confirmed that 27 passengers were injured, 25 of them had been sent to hospital immediately, and most of them were slight contuse and scratching.
Related government departments have launched the emergency mechanism after the collision.
- China maintains blue alert for blizzards, cold snap
CHINA'S National Meteorological Center(NMC) today maintained its blue alert for blizzards and a severe cold snap in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Eastern parts of northeast China's Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, coastal areas of Shandong Province and northeastern parts of Guizhou Province will see heavy snowfall and possibly blizzards in the coming 24 hours.
Snow or blizzards will also hit parts of Hunan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. Central and western Guizhou will see freezing rain, the NMC forecast early Saturday morning.
Along with heavy snow, gales will chill these areas in the following 48 hours, with temperature drops of 6-12 degrees Celsius.
The observatory has advised residents to take measures to prepare for the upcoming snow and cold snap.
- China - Guangxi #31
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