(A delivery worker holds a package in Beijing, says he will not travel back home for the Spring Festival. Photo courtesy of Suning)

China’s Spring Festival travel rush kicked off on Monday, and nearly 3 billion trips are expected to be made as seas of people start their journeys back home. Meanwhile, another sizable population has chosen to stay put in the cities away from home for their jobs, to whom Chinese netizens are calling for more attention and care.

On Twitter-like Sina Weibo, the hashtag “reason why you cannot travel home for Spring Festival” has received over 1.2 million views, as many netizens express their concerns and show support to a special group of people made up of train drivers, airline stewardess, police officers, sanitation workers, delivery workers, and others, who see no holiday when the rest of the nation takes off for a seven-day-long holiday.

(A taxi driver stands in front of his car in Beijing, says he will not rest for the Spring Festival. Photo courtesy of Suning)

Wang Yu, a mechanic for China’s Fuxing bullet train, said he has not celebrated the Spring Festival for 10 years. Wang, who works at the construction site for the Ganzhou-Shenzhen high-speed railways, also said that most of the construction workers at the site choose to stay on the project so as to guarantee its completion on schedule.

Inner-city transportation and maintenance also require many others to work during the holiday as bus and taxi drivers and to keep things like heat and water supplies running smoothly. Among those who will stay behind for the holiday are countless delivery workers who will continue their services to guarantee the convenience of e-commerce businesses, from online shopping to take-out food.

“Who wouldn’t want to go home for Spring Festival? Salute to all the workers on the frontline,” a netizen wrote.

Some also raised additional examples of those who cannot enjoy the annual family get-together, from medical workers to soldiers stationed at border areas.

Joining the public voices of support and care, Suning convenience stores under China’s retailer giant Suning have launched a nationwide campaign to find 100 “city watchers” who sacrifice their holiday for city operation. Those selected will be receive free breakfast from the nearly 4,000 Suning convenience stores across the nation.

(A flower shop owner says he plans not to travel back home for the Spring Festival. Photo courtesy of Suning)