Millions on the move

In addition to traditional ways of going home, Chinese people have increasingly turned to a comparatively new idea — carpooling.

Yue Hanshi, 52, decided like many others to return home with some new friends who would share expenses in his car.

Yue, who works at a property management company in Guangzhou, Guangdong, said it would be his first time giving others a lift on the way back to his hometown — Jingmen, Hubei province.

"My company said our holiday starts on Feb 7, a bit later than other enterprises, which created problems for me. It was very hard to get a train ticket for that time, and flying is too expensive for me," he said.

"I considered driving back home by myself, but the cost of gasoline and the road tolls made me hesitate," he said. "Then some of my young colleagues suggested I could take some people with me who are going to the same area. I thought it was an interesting idea, and my passengers can share the costs."

He advertised for companions on the Internet and asked anyone who fit his requirements and was interested to give him a call.

"If they call me, I'll be able to verify through their accents that they are from my hometown or nearby. I don't want to take people who will add extra distance to my route because it will take more time and bring unnecessary errands."

Yue also required the passengers to provide their ID cards and pay him 200 yuan each. "I have strict standards about who I take because I don't want my trip ruined by troublemakers," he said.

"And I won't let them drive my Chevrolet because I'm more familiar with my car and can guarantee our safety."

Yue was not alone in sharing cars.

"I have an SUV and plan to drive it home from Chongqing to Zhuzhou (Hunan province). I plan to leave on Feb 8 and take highways for the whole trip," Guo Long, a construction engineer from Zhuzhou who works in Chongqing, wrote on a carpooling website.

"Besides my wife and me, there are extra three seats in my car, so I'm looking for three passengers. Women are preferred, and those who are interested should be healthy and non-smokers. Ideal passengers would have a driver's license."

Guo said he thought it is impossible to buy train tickets for his wife and himself, and air tickets, though easier to find, are too expensive, so driving home seems a reasonable option.

He calculated the cost of each means of transportation.

"A hard sleeper ticket from Chongqing to Zhuzhou costs 248 yuan, an air ticket around 900 yuan. The road distance between the two is 1,100 km, which means gasoline will cost 900 yuan and the highway toll will come to nearly 500 yuan.

"If I can find three passengers, the cost per person will be 280 yuan, which is about the price of a hard sleeper ticket."

Since the beginning of January, ride-sharing information has surged on several marketplace websites, including 58.com and picker365.com.