An actor wearing traditional costume takes part in an ancient Qing Dynasty ceremony in which emperors prayed for good harvest and fortune as part of the opening of the temple fair at Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, in Beijing January 22, 2012. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. David Gray/Reuters
A woman prays for good fortune as she holds burning incense on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year at Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing January 23, 2012. Jason Lee/Reuters
Actors dressed in Qing Dynasty costumes take part in the heaven-worshiping ceremony, in which people pray for good harvest and fortune, to celebrate the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, January 23, 2012. Soo Hoo Zheyang/Reuters
A woman holding incense prays for good fortune at Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing January 23, 2012. Jason Lee/Reuters
Visitors throw coins at a fountain for good fortune wishes at the Longhua Buddhist Temple on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year in Shanghai. Carlos Barria/Reuters
Local residents ignite fireworks as part of celebrations in Beijing January 22, 2012. David Gray/Reuters
A father pulls a luggage with his daughter as the family walks towards their train inside Beijing west railway station, January 21, 2012. Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the biggest of two "Golden Week" holidays, giving migrant workers their only chance of the year to return to their home provinces with gifts for their families. Jason Lee/Reuters
Decorative red lanterns are hung on a tree ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations at Ditan Park (the Temple of Earth), in Beijing. Jason Lee/Reuters
A man writes Spring Festival calligraphy couplets for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at a market in Taipei, Jan. 20. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon. Shengfa Lin /Reuters
Actors take part in a rehearsal for the upcoming temple fair, adapted from an ancient Qing Dynasty ceremony where emperors prayed for good harvest and fortune, at the Ditan Park (the Temple of Earth), in Beijing, Jan. 20. Jason Lee /Reuters
People play with snow at a park decorated for the upcoming Chinese New Year amid snowfall in Lanzhou, Gansu province, China. Aly Song/Reuters
Former North Korean defectors launch balloons containing propaganda leaflets with chocolate snacks toward North Korea to celebrate upcoming Lunar New Year's Day, near Ganghwa Peace Observatory in Incheon, South Korea, Jan. 20. Lunar New Year's Day is one of the national holiday in North Korea. AP
A woman with a red packet holding money, poses for a souvenir photo with an employee dressed as a "god of fortune" outside a shopping mall in Beijing, Jan. 17. Andy Wong/AP
A man checks a red lantern as he stands in front of the decorations for the upcoming Chinese New Year in Lanzhou, Gansu province, Jan. 19. Aly Song/Reuters
A child has a meal with her family at a local construction site in Chengdu, Sichuan province, January 9. More than 1,400 migrant workers took part in the annual meal to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. Reuters
A woman wipes her tears with her partner's scarf as they say goodbye, at Beijing west railway station, Jan. 19. Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the biggest of two "Golden Week" holidays, giving migrant workers their only chance of the year to return to their home provinces with gifts for their families. Jason Lee/Reuters
Bengali White Tiger cubs, dressed in traditional Chinese clothes for the upcoming Spring Festival, are seen eating inside their cage at a zoo in Qingdao, Shandong province, Jan. 16. China Daily/Reuters
Passengers arrive at Beijing railway station on Jan. 19. More than 200 million people are expected to take to the railways over this year's holiday, the biggest movement of humanity in the world. Jason Lee/Reuters
Visitors walk through a tunnel made up of lanterns which have been set up for the upcoming Spring Festival in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Jan. 16. China Daily/Reuters
A boy watches as divers perform a dragon dance during an event to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year at the Shanghai aquarium, Jan. 19. Carlos Barria/Reuters
A worker installs a dragon decoration for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year in Wuhan, Hubei province, Jan. 18. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. Reuters
This weekend, hundreds of millions of Chinese will return to hometowns to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon. But the annual pilgrimage is marked by the annual struggle at the train station.
Is this any way to run a railroad? Some 235 million Chinese travelers have their doubts.
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