'春运说吧' Phone Booths for Travelers

At the train stations in Shenyang, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Xian, all major railway hubs in China, four phone-booth-like pavilions have been set up. Instead of being used to make phone calls, they are designed to record videos. Established by China Central Television, these pavilions are for homebound travelers to record their Spring Festival blessing inside. Once recorded, the videos will be selected by the TV station and broadcast nationwide. In some cases these video blessings may reach home eariler than the travelers do. People walking into the red booth may initially appear shy or nervous in front of the video camera. But eventually, they speak their minds and reveal their deep emotions. Liang Kelei and his family lives in Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi Province. He sent this message from the railway station in Xi'an to his daughter who's not coming home this year. "My name is Liang Kelei and my hometown is in Shanxi. The person I miss the most is my daughter. She goes to college in Anhui Province. I want to tell her: I miss you so much. " Some people got into the telephone boothes to express their hopes and aspirations for the coming year, like Luo Jiancheng, and Zhang Tao. "I have made a new plan for myself. I want to change my work environment. Last year, I didn't meet the requirement to expand the scale of production as the factory manager; for the coming year, I will learn more. " "My baby boy starting to walk is the most memorable moment for me this past year. I will never forget how he toddles. Next year, I wish for him to grow healthy and happy and for everyone to have a happy family!" Amongst the hustle and bustle of the train stations, love and friendship is the pervasive theme of the Spring Festival, a holiday that hinges on togetherness. Hu Qi, a migrant worker told his family this before he boarded the train. "At the beginning of each year, I leave home with a dream; at the end of each year, I come back with love. I want to thank my family and friends. Because of you, while away from home, I am stronger."