What is a "motorcycle army"?

The heavier the shower, the more eager you are to return home. Mr. Li, a villager from Shatou Town, Cangwu County, Wuzhou City, is one of the few motorcyclists who have returned home.

At around 6 a.m. on January 9, he drove a motorcycle from Shunde, Guangdong, and arrived at the Spring Festival Transport Service Station in Wuzhou, Guangxi at nearly 12 noon. Mr. Li's return to his hometown this time is a solo trip. In the past, the "motorcycle army" drove on National Highway 321 in mighty force. Mr. Li never felt lonely even if he was "alone". Today, riding alone in the rain, Mr. Li and his motorcycle are somewhat alone.

At 4 o'clock in the morning that day, Qin Jitan, a migrant worker who returned to Guigang City, Guangxi Province from Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, drove a motorcycle all the way west. "Although there is no grand scene, a fellow villager and I are riding bicycles side by side. Nothing can stop us from going home to celebrate the New Year." Qin Jitan said.

At the Dulian gas station where the Spring Festival Service Station is located, Lu Zhiyong, an employee of Sinopec Wuzhou Branch, has witnessed the changes in the "motorcycle army" over the years. He is from Dawang Village, Limu Town, Cenxi City, Wuzhou City. Many fellow villagers in the village who work in Guangdong will not go home to celebrate the New Year this year. They may be worried about causing health troubles to the elderly and children in the village.

According to statistics from relevant departments, since 2013, the number of "motorcycle armies" passing through Wuzhou has shown a downward trend year by year. By 2019, there were only 42,000 "motorcycles" returning home via the east exit section of Wuzhou City on National Highway 321. In recent years, affected by the epidemic, the "motorcycle army" passing through Wuzhou has dropped sharply.

The increasingly perfect transportation network

The sharp decline in the "motorcycle army" is inseparable from Guangxi's increasingly perfect transportation network. At the end of 2014, the Nan-Guangzhou and Guizhou-Guangzhou high-speed railways connecting Guangxi and Guizhou to Guangdong were put into operation, creating a "fast lane" for people from southwest China to go south to the Pearl River Delta for "gold rush". By the end of 2022, Guangxi has achieved the goal of "county-county highways".

“After the opening of the high-speed rail, the passenger flow has increased significantly on weekends and holidays, mainly the flow of workers and business travelers between Guangdong and Guangxi.” Liu Chunhua, chief of the Wuzhou Depot Business Section of the Nanning Bureau of the State Railway, introduced that Nanning, Guangzhou, Since the opening of the Guiyang-Guangzhou high-speed railway, the number of sports car trips has continued to increase every spring, from 41 pairs in 2015 to 205 pairs this year. The year-by-year increase in high-speed rail transport capacity is in sharp contrast to the year-by-year decline in the “motorcycle army”.

Wuzhou, Guigang, Guiping, Pingnan, and Tengxian are important labor import counties and cities in eastern Guangxi. The Nanning Bureau of the State Railway has continuously adjusted and optimized the EMU operation structure according to passenger travel needs. This year, in Nanguang, Guiyang-Guangzhou High-speed Railway has added 38 pairs of nighttime "red-eye high-speed trains". The high-speed trains run in the morning, noon and evening every day, which greatly facilitates the return of migrant workers to their hometowns for the New Year.

Wuzhou South Station is the easternmost passenger station of the Guangxi section of the Nan-Guangzhou High-speed Railway, adjacent to Guangdong. Since the Spring Festival, the number of passengers arriving and departing from Wuzhou South Station has gradually increased, especially the number of passengers coming from Guangdong has increased significantly. "Now, there are fewer passengers going to Guangdong and more returning passengers. Many of the passengers who get off our train are young people traveling in groups, and most of them work in Guangdong." said Chen Jian, director of Wuzhou South Railway Station.

Starting towards home

Lin Bin from Dawan Town, Guiping City, went to Foshan, Guangdong to work in 2004. He was initially a technician in the electronics industry. He told reporters that he used to ride a motorcycle home to celebrate the New Year every Spring Festival. The journey took more than 10 hours, and it was even worse when it was windy and rainy. After more than 10 years of hard work, he has now established a weak current engineering company, bought a car, and built a new house. "Now I have to take a train to go back to my hometown. The whole journey only takes two hours. It's safe and comfortable." Lin Bin said.

"It is expected that the number of 'motorcycle armies' passing through Wuzhou during this year's Spring Festival will increase compared with last year, but the overall number will not be very large.

In addition, compared with the past, there will be large and small bags and one family. Travel is different. In recent years, the 'motorcycle army' has gradually transformed from family travel to traveling with a few relatives and friends, and the trend is younger," said Li Xiangming, deputy section chief of the order section of the Wuzhou Public Security Bureau Traffic Police Detachment.

“No matter how the number of the ‘motorcycle army’ changes, the quality of the volunteer services we provide to those returning home to work will not change.” Lu Zhiyong said. Looking around the Dulian gas station, banners and slogans such as "Love and Warm Station, loving service is always open" and "Twenty Years of Love Relay, Love and Warm Station will escort you" are particularly eye-catching.

As in previous years, gas station employees turned into volunteers and delivered rice pudding, instant noodles and other food to motorcycle riders returning home. Some emergency medicines are also prepared in case of emergencies.

The rain was pouring down. After drinking a bowl of steaming hot porridge, the sparse motorcycle riders set off towards home.

On the way back home during the Spring Festival, the former "motorcycle army" is gradually withdrawing from the stage. The way migrant workers go home has changed, the means of transportation have changed, and the way they make a living has also changed. However, the entire society is eager to return home. The staff's original intention and persistence in providing services has not changed, and everyone's yearning, pursuit and confidence in a better life have also not changed.