News You Might Have Missed: Chunjie Survival Guide

If headlines are to be believed, not many people are enjoying the Spring Festival. As Beijing empties out (though seriously, how empty can a city of nearly 20 million get?), bellies growl louder with each restaurant that closes for the break. Travelers, of course, have their own issues to deal with. The only winners we can find in this whole Chunjie chaos are some prisoners in Ningxia.

Anyone spending the holiday in Beijing may need to stock up for the week. Your Chunjie survival kit should contain: a list of restaurants that will be open and a backup list if you must rely upon your own cooking skills, safety goggles for anyone setting off fireworks (or else, an insurance card and the name of the nearest hospital), ear plugs (the fireworks don't end on New Year’s Eve) and places that will offer some entertainment, whether it's at the temple or in a bar.

Beijing residents are also being warned of various road closures that may impede driving in certain areas. Expect traffic controls to be enforced on Chang'an Avenue several evenings during the week. Authorities also plan on restricting traffic around Changdian, Daguanyuan and Yonghegong. Taking the subway is an obvious solution; just keep in mind that Yonghegong station will be closed on January 23.

If staying in Beijing seems more hassle than it’s worth, the travel option isn’t looking much better. The new train ticket system continues to plague passengers. Those lucky enough to get tickets will face uncomfortable, overcrowded trains, while flight delays – either from fog or snow – are sure to frazzle more than a few air travelers.

Here's our vote for the folks who are probably having the best New Year: 66 convicts who have been granted a five-day release from their prison in Ningxia. While this sounds like the easiest prison-break set-up ever, the penitentiary has been giving well-behaved prisoners (with less than two years left on their sentences) a New Year’s get-out-of-jail-free card. This will be the fourth year they've tried this – and not a single jailbird yet. Five days with the family is apparently enough to get anybody ready to return to their cells.

Photo: a1social.com