In pics: touching moments along journey home ahead of Spring Festival

File photo taken on Jan. 11, 2004 shows Dr. Yang (R) arriving in Xiamen from his hometown Jinmen, southeast China's Fujian Province, after a journey on a ship. Yang stops by Xiamen and heads for Shanghai, where he works, to celebrate the Lunar New Year with his family. As the reunion with the family during the Lunar New Year is a long-standing tradition in China, people embark on journey home ahead of the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. The 40-day 2019 Spring Festival travel rush started on Jan. 21, with 3 billion trips expected to be made. Here are some touching moments along the homeward bound journey. (Xinhua/Huang Shaoyi)