China: The Great 2011 Migration

Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

Waiting Inside Guangzhou Station
Every year, these migrant workers hit the nation's transportation network en masse over a period of about 40 days. Chunyun, as the spring festival travel season is called in Chinese, is often the only time in the year when they get to see their families.

Get the Latest Photos from Time.com
Get TIME photos and pictures of the week delivered directly to your inbox.