The annual Qingming festival falls on April 4th this year. As a traditional festival to remember and honor ancestors at grave sites, it also denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime. "Outing in green spring", Li Kefu takes a look at the Qingming travel rush at Shanghai railway station.

Another travel rush at Shanghai railway station, flowers carried by passengers symbolize the spirit of the Qingming Festival: A time to remember the deceased.

And it's time for "outing in the green spring" for many as well. According to officials at the Shanghai railway station, more than 5 million passengers are expected to pass through the station during the three-day holidays. A 10 percent increase from the peak days of the Spring Festival holiday travel rush.

Most of the passengers are heading to neighboring Zuzhou and Wuxi. Many have been forced to wait two hours at the station for a ticket. Self-service ticket booths have offered major assistance.

And, it can be even more convenient. Some passengers booked their ticket on-line. All they need to do at the station is swipe their ID cards at the gates and get on the train. It's just like taking the subway.

In order to cope with increasing passengers, the Shanghai railway station has added some temporary trains on the Shanghai to Nanjing and Shanghai to Hangzhou high-speed railways. The travel rush is expected to last till mid-week.

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