Tens of thousands of Chinese crammed into a railway station in Guangzhou on Thursday, desperate to get home for a major holiday after days of delay caused by snow and showing signs of losing their patience.
Tempers flared as families and migrant workers surged into the station two days after being told they would have to stay in the southern metropolis for the Lunar New Year holiday. For millions, this is their only chance to see family all year.
"How do you expect us to get up there? What arrangements are in place?" Lai Lihua, a textile worker from the Guangxi region, adjoining Guangdong province, yelled at a policeman.
The officer could only repeat that people must wait until they could reach the platforms and board trains.
"I have less information than you do," he said.
China's battle against brutal winter weather has spurred a propaganda push to try to comfort millions of cold, stranded and dismayed citizens, as more winter storms threatened many areas.
Snow, sleet and ice blanketing much of central, eastern and southern China have killed dozens, cut power and hobbled transport ahead of the holiday, which starts on Wednesday.
As the Communist Party government seeks to clear the transport chaos and ship food and coal to stricken areas, it has launched an intense media campaign to reassure citizens it can handle the hardships and prevent dismay from turning into unrest.
"After 30 years of reform and opening up, we've accumulated a strong material foundation and as long as we're vigorously organised, we will be fully able to vanquish the current hardship," Premier Wen Jiabao told officials in Guangzhou.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao echoed Wen.
"This natural disaster is historically unprecedented and we are also encountering unprecedented difficulties, but we believe that under the government's leadership and with the common efforts of the people and the cooperation of the People's Liberation Army in affected areas recovery work can proceed effectively and smoothly and regular livelihoods can resume at an early date."
