By Brendan John Worrell (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-01-23 13:11

Every year around this time the middle kingdom undergoes a profound transformation as millions migrate back to their family homes to reunite with loved ones for the start of the Chinese New Year in what is surely the world’s greatest non-disaster exodus. China's railways ministry forecast they would carry 178.6 million passengers during the travel rush from January 23 to March 2.

Like ants to honey the population feeds and thrives on this devotion to the family, which is at the core of Chinese New Year celebrations. It underpins and feeds China’s charge into the 21st century. Undeniably it is a source of sustenance and fiber that many western nations lack and are grappling to come to grips with.

Behind the glitz and glory of the upcoming Olympics China still has millions of workers slaving away, saving their salaries to send back to loved ones who are struggling in the village or less prosperous rural areas. For these workers who have been building the physical infrastructure for the nation they have been looking forward to the upcoming weeks with a pained longing.

University students around the country have also been obsessing on the Chinese New Year after slogging away for months and they too are converging on train stations en masse to travel, often several thousands of kilometers, back to their hometowns. Making matters more traumatic has been a recent snow blitz that has led to major transport delays and the usual ticket rort where a corrupt scalping underground controls ticket sales to the highest bidder.

For these two groups, students and migrant worker, who are less wealthy, it usually means first lining up, often for hours before ticketing booths open. Most will be content just to be able to stand, even a day and a half, as long as they get home to be with their family. You will see them sleeping under train seats, among pumpkin seeds and empty noodle bowls, while others even snore standing or lock themselves away inside fetid lavatories just trying to steal a few moments peace away from the crowded carriage conditions.

Though amid all this hardship and bother the desire to sit around the circular table and share dinner with family on Chinese New Year Eve erases any built up resentment. It is this commitment and sacrifice to the family institution that many westerners admire and envy about the Chinese.

Ask any social worker, psychologist, community leader, police or prison officer and they will remind you that at the heart of a good member of society there will usually be found a solid character nurtured by a loving support network.

For western countries that are battling with generations of anti social, violent, drug taking, abusive citizens, a large proportion of the explanation can be traced back to the family and the institutions within a society that support this.

In most G8 nations, generations of broken families have led to fractured, soul searching citizens who, while maybe enjoying first world conditions nevertheless, suffer third world realities, as they lack the love and support of a tight family unit.

Follow the US presidential primaries and notice the appeal of the young Barack Obama who has magnetized voters with his single parent upbringing and pledges to reinvest in child rearing.

It’s no secret that African Americans have been battling for generations, in particular on the domestic front where families have fallen apart. On the flipside in the many instances where they have overcome one often finds a healthy robust family unit.

Notice when foreign visitors come to China they relish the safe streets at night - something they cannot expect back home. Though it may be simplistic it can be argued that the Confucian adherence to the family unit brings wider benefits to the society.

Reflecting, the best thing I did today was telephone my father and possibly one of the worst things I did last year was not go home for Christmas.

Definitely the best thing many will be doing here in China is going home over the next few weeks to see their families, no matter what it takes to get there - push, shove, bribe – whatever.

This food for the soul is at the heart of the world’s greatest exodus and it is a fuel that sustains, regulates and revitalizes a people that are now more than ever changing the world landscape.