I'm astounded by the lack of compassion expressed in some people's comments. If you (the approx 90% of Americans without passports) ever saw the conditions these poor migrant workers live in and how hard they work, or if you were ever able to open your minds enough to have an understanding of a people other than your own, then maybe YOU would have found YOURSELF amongst the 500,000 people trying to get home to see their families.

Anna, Beijing & UK,

My heart goes for the families who are waiting for their near & dear one to join them on Chinese new year. May almighty God, bless Chinese -

With the gifts of the season...
peace, hope, love, health, wealth and happiness
be yours throughout the Chinese New Year - 2008

Amen!

Deepak Yadav, Gurgaon, India

The situation was that snow has never been in this area for almost 50 years. But in this year just before chinese spring festival, snow and ever snowstorm came here suddenly and continued for more than twenty days. thousands of cars blocked in the highway with everything frozed almost in hours. Government has tried their best to provide oil, food, water to those people. You can never imagine but only can see it the Hollywood movie

liu , shanghai, China

This is for -JW, Hong KOng , CHINA
I am a Chinese living in USA, I cannt believe how you as a Chinese can blame your government when knowing this situiation would be difficult no matter which government is facing it! It is people like you who is always complaining now matter what!

Lingling, Harrisburg,

God bless the people of China and help them through this difficult time. May they look within to maintain peace among themselves.

I worry a great deal for all of the babies in the orphanages as we adopted a beautiful baby girl in 2004. I worry they won't have heat or electricity to help them care the the babies.

May the difficulties you are all experiencing end soon and with as little problems as possible. Wishing the people of China a healthy and prosperious 2008.

greta, Northfield, USA / NH

To Steve Lee & all the Chinese people struggling to get home:
I work with a supplier on a daily basis in Guangzhou. I hope my friend Annie from there has made it home and I wish good luck to you and everyone struggling through this! I know how important this holiday is to the Chinese! Good Luck and God Bless!!

Katie Gambill, Wausau, WI / USA

I'm absolutely appalled by the arrogant and ignorant comments left by some of the Americans here. This kind of large-scale natural disaster would be taxing for any country's government to deal with on a regular week, nevermind the week prior to the biggest national holiday. I believe the Chinese government is doing their best to cope with the situation and provide aid to those in need. My hearts goes out to everyone affected by the snow storms - all the sons and daughters heading home to their parents, all the migrant workers hoping to be reunited with their family, all the citizens trying to keep warm indoors and all the aid workers and soldiers working round the clock to save lives and provide relief.

Anna, London,

To some people here:

Only if you experienced this whether disater could you know how serious. I never expect you can understand how important the Spring Festival is to most Chinese, or understand how mesirable it is for those suffering from the snow storm, nor do I expect you can show any of your sympathy for those poor guys or help them, but I do hope you can be without prejudice or acrimony. Maybe tomorrow it is you who is in difficulty.

I do thank some friends here for their resonable and objective comments.

God bless!

Steve Lee, Beijing , China

I'm in Shanghai right now. We don't have central heating, just space heaters and the humidity is very high. The cold just goes right through you. I lived in Beijing for three years, this is way colder. -2 in Beijing is nothing compared to -2 in Shanghai. Global warming? If the ice caps melt, won't there be a temporary drop in temperatures, resulting from the evaporated water? ...and when the water is gone, or heated up...?

Bob Barker, Suffolk,

must be global warming.

gpdamico, riviera, italy

Well even if you had the machinary where would you clear all the snow to? You can't just dump it somewhere and hope it will melt because it won't with freezing temperatures. I agree that the government should be able to control situations better but it must be quite difficult seeing as it is hard to move around now. Besides it is very hard to govern a country with such a mass population stop complaining because that will get you nowhere(JW).

JJ, london,

I must say this snow and ice is most inconvenient, wot! My driver was ten minutes late this afternoon because some fool had the temerity to crash his schoolbus on the Yan An Expressway. Can't these people be more considerate? I mean, I know it's Chinese New Year and all that, but I had a pint of gin waiting for me in the Club and it had become slightly warm by the time I arrived. Also, has anyone noticed how difficult it has become for the Ah Yi (maid) to get the proper supplies for the pantry? Apparently all this brouhaha down in Guangzhou means that City Shopper will soon run out of Colman's English Mustard!

Half a million people in a train station in freezing temperatures is a horrendous state of affairs. But that's the way it goes. This is completely unexpected weather. The trains aren't running and people have nowhere, literally nowhere to go. They must simply wait. You don't move a mass of people the size of Leeds overnight. God help them.

Warren, Shanghai,

When bad weather strikes, whether it be snow or rain , in China the problem is always very serious because of the vast number of people who live in the country. Let us hope that these ordinary Chinese people, like everyone else in the world, working to feed families and survive in the world can eventually get to their homes. I get tired of seeing uncharitable comments usually from the USA, once again we see the ugly American even in a situation caused by mother nature.

Phil de Buquet, Newport, England

it s again showing how uncapable china government is to handle this kind of masses ...the people are getting very angry and it is very dangerous for china to have situations like this ....the airports are closed because they have not efficient enough machinery to clean up the snow - the streets + highways are blocked because they use "manpower" to get rid of ice and snow .......some heavy machinery like it is used in the alps in austria or switzerland would immediately bring relief .......it is totally absurd that a country which is hosting the olympics and spending billions of rmb for that is not able to solve this kind of crisis in a fast way. Also it shows how weak the infrastructure still is .......................but all they do is hailing the economic growth of 10 or more percent each year ..this is as fake as the bags are you can buy in Lo Wu across the HK border. Cheers !!!!!!

JW, Hong KOng , CHINA

Many Americans are saying that these people should just go home and forget about the holiday. It is not that simple, many of these people are migrant workers who have worked in the bigger cities for the year. They may not return to this region after the holiday. They are trying to get to their homes and families, to celebrate the New Year and plan for next year. Maybe they have earned enough to stay home, or maybe they will try to find work in another area.

I feel sad. I know how they are looking forward to a break and time with family. How about we keep them in our thougts and prayers, instead of being ugly, selfish Americans.

SS, Saint Louis, USA/MO

Now China knows what we go through here in Montana every year, -100 on some days, snow piled up to the roof tops always be prepaired, firewood, winter clothes, food, Satellite TV, a good wife and most improtant Jack Daniels!
Good Luck to the people of China

Mike , Wolf Point , Montana / USA

I lived in Guandong Province for four years, the weather there in winter is normally rather like an English winter fairly cold and damp.
It is a sub tropical climate and snow is almost unheard of, so like England they do not have snow ploughs standing by, or experience with snow conditions.
By contrast here in southern Finland we would be walking on the sea ice now and there would be pathways across the river.
There is no ice and we have had almost no snow. There has been no work for the icebreakers in the Gulf of Finland.
NE of the USA gets blizzards almost as routine and yet there is chaos in the transport system every time. Two inches of snow and the schools close!
As Anthony Rosas said the Lunar New Year has been the main national holiday in China for centuries, it has nothing to do with Communism restrictions.
My heart goes out to all those people suffering those terrible conditions.
It makes the frequent cancellations at Heathrow etc look like a picnic.

plato, ely, uk

well, it's not a matter of constitution or whatever, at the end of the day, it's just about people.

When I looked at those people sleeping on the ground, under this kinda weather, I really do feel sad, and wish this bad weather can fade soon.

My family is in Guangzhou, where the 500,000 got stranded, and my bf's in ShangHai, where all train ticketing sevice got stopped. I can't do much but tell them to take care of themselves.

Catherino, Sydney, Australia

Obviously at " Guangzhou rail station" almost everyone comes from city of Guangzhou or the Guangdong province. Why don't many of these just give up and go back home. Is it because many are factory workers living in factory housing, and the factory housing is closed ?

In the United States Thanksgiving is the big travel event. If 2-4 days before Thanksgiving, a huge huge blizzard hit the middle of the United States and all airports were declaring shutdown. All Americans would say, hell with this and just stay home and forget the travel.
.

stephen, Melbourne, Florida

i love china.
i have to tell you American what you said that The government treats people like cattle,how about USA treats Iraqe?
i'am pity also that most of American did'nt know our country!
you know sth!

zhou river, jiangyin, china

There good people with bad leaders, hey I can say the same for the good old US of A.

lmd, Jeff City, Mo

I feel badly for the stranded folks. I've been laid over for days in several airports and the experience wasn't pleasant at all. I couldn't imagine that volume of people in one area.....waiting.

Koz, Fort Worth, Texas USA

I live in Nanjing, and have been watching this first-hand. From my comfy-foreigner stance it's been pretty fun and exciting-- snowmen everywhere, kids ecstatic, etc. However travel at this time of year (imagine holiday travel in the west times 100) is a real pain normally-- complicated by the fact that the trains are not equipped to run in this weather it's even worse.

I really must say, I'm kind of shocked by all the "This is communism's fault" comments. Are you serious?! (Free Market) travel never gets affected by drastic weather in the west? Where were all the "free market" businesses evacuating people from Katrina?

I'm even more appalled by the "it's snowing, so there's no such thing as global warming" crowd. Hey, your gut says it's a myth, so who cares what EVERY SCIENTIST who has studied it says!

Who knew so many American republicans read British news sources? Who knew they could read at all, for that matter?

Chris, Nanjing, China

What a zenophobic and uncharitable lot some of these American types seem to be. Since when has being caught out by the weather been a crime? New year is at least as important to the Chinese as Thanksgiving is to Americans, so have a heart.

David Masu, Zürich,

i love china.its a good country.It has the biggest amount of people in the world,but the goverment sloves this problems successfully every year,its so great? If it happens in US,who can tell and Ensure they can do a better job???

liu, Nanjing, China

To Johnny Alabama. Does that make America a third world country because lots of people travel to relatives for thanksgiving or Xmas? What is third world about having a national holiday?

Rachel, London,

I despair at some of the American comments. Such hatred!!

To the Chinese, I wish them "kung hei fat choi". Hope you have a wonderful new year.

Prabhat, UK,

On the 5th of January 2000 I was told the next train I could have a ticket on out of Guangzhou would leave in 8 days. Plus ca change...

Rupert Fiennes, London, UK

WOW - we've really seen the tender side of Joe Citizen US !

Forgotton New Orleans already !

Luke B, Dublin, ireland

^not really a third world country! just people want to make more cash for family in news year.

just the bad weather and service not doin much about it i reckon

jody yam, hongkong,

Were they all in the same railcar?

Marco, Philadelphia,

I tend to agree with Anthony in Beijing. The majority of the comments here are crass and ill-informed at the least and, unfortunately, mostly seem to emanate from the US.

My memory of the States is that one of the times you do not attempt to travel is just before Thanksgiving, when most of the country seems to be in some form of transport going somewhere.

A strong parallel perhaps with Chinese New Year and the wish to spend it with people you like?

Matthew, London,

i'm in shanghai where rare snow make us excited

andy, shanghai, china

I would have been one of them. Every year I go back to my hometown to spend the Chinese new year, cos, it is pretty much the same as your Chiristmas. It's the most important day of a year, for us Chinese. Most of the people would forsake like everything for just being able to be together with their family.
I do think it's nature's punishment on human being, just, it should not have targeted at those innocent people at this time of year.
No one would have expected such bad weather. And for global warming, we cannot hold a single country responsible.
If only everyone can try using a little bit less of their car, save a little bit of energy...

Liu Haiyan, Beijing,

No tickee, no trainee.

Johnny, Montgomery, AL

Still very much a Third World Country. When the workers and peasants have the same single week off from work each year, this is what happens.

Johnny, Alabama, USA

The most recent news is that there are more than half million people waiting in Guangzhou station area, and the electric problem couldn't be fixed in the next 3days or so, and more snow is coming.

There are similar problems in every major cities in China right now because of the snowfall.

Situation could be worse, even without the snowstorm.

Did anyone know that on Jan. 13th, in a small town in Anhui province, a college student who was waiting for a train going back to her hometown got pushed and fell off to the railway track and became two pieces under the slowing-down train? There were only 500 people waiting there. They were afraid they couldn't get on the train go home so that they started to push and chase the train while it's still moving.

Traci, Manassas, VA

there is time for everything.
how can we sit here and point finger on.
calm down! things will get over.
and Chinese people have enduring patience.
God bless China

Victor, Shanghai, China

Isn't this the same country that boasted they were going to control the weather so it wouldn't rain while they hosted the Olympics???

Mother Nature, Dogpatch, AR / USA

I was at the Beijing airport waiting for a flight into Shanghai from 5:00am till we departed at 6:30pm yesterday. Scary when we did land in Shanghai. Snow continued to come down overnight.
Was pleasantly surprised that the travelers were treated better (food, water, information (if you spoke Chinese) than what I have seen provided at OHare in Chicago.

David Moline, chicago, USA/Chicago

@ Vicki - You should travel more before complaining about mass transportation.

adriana, austin, Texas

the mirgrant workers live in the factories accomadation
and the factories are closed

dave, york,

Maybe you don't know what's happening in China. The Spring Festival is coming and lots of workers from the rural part of China are coming back to their hometown. Most of them are not from Guangzhou, but from the other provinces, such as Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Fujian, Anhui, and so on. You'll not imagine a mass of people are coming back home, just like Christmas in your country, to celebrate the lunar New Year.

Zhang Fang, Beijing, China

I am saddened by the comments here - As a US citizen residing in China I have some insight into the meaning of this holiday - its meaning is significant like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Missing out one year is a very big deal as family is God here and next year many will not get to see families due to shortening of another holiday si this is it for them.

These hard working human beings in South China make the items you buy in big box stores and enjoy in your warm homes affordable and lower your cost of living. Yes China pollutes as did every industrialized nation that modernized. China does not have the luxury of 100 years to clean up its act but has to try to do so at warp speed while keeping this tinderbox from exploding. The average citizen here does not eat 200lbs of meat per year, own a car or even fly. Many of you in the US do and perpetuate the adverse effects climate change more then you may realize.

Anthony Rosas, Beijing, China

Sandra is right, this snow doesn't doesn't disprove global warming. Trouble is neither does a 90 degree in Moscow or Seattle prove it! Yet every hot day somewhere you have Al and the press touting it as proof of global warming. It's beautiful when a theory predicts both hotter and colder weather, no matter what happens there is your "proof" of global warming.
It's amazing how gore can implicate Katrina on global warming and how few scientists have dared to call him on it. I guess the next two years of below normal hurricane activity when gore and the alarmists predicted heavy hurricane activity somehow proves global warming as well. Or how researchers can say with authority that they can measure global temps to the tenth of a degree!
The farce here is that researches are manipulating data to fit the theory and not modifying the theory to the observed data. Too many people in science and the media have sold out into manmade global warming abandoning the scientific method for politics.

Geo, Columbus, OH

If there were some kind of profit motive in China, there would already be private entrepenuers jumping to make a little money solving thie problem.

Unfortunately, in a communist country, there is no profit motive. So 200,000 people have to sleep in a train station waiting for their government to come save them.

Michael Conover, Sacramento, CA

I'm reminded of France when they lost thousands due to extreme heat. Will any die due to this storm?

It's nature's way of cleansing the planet. We're not ruining the earth - she's ruining us!

Chris, Wallkill, NY USA

-
The people at "the Guangzhou railway", could just go back to their apartments/condos in the city of Guangzhou and forget about going home for the holidays. A strong blast of winter in a place that usually has mild winters, is just a rare event. One year missing out is not the end of the world.

stephen, Melbourne, Florida

That's why I hate mass transportation. The government treats people like cattle and could care less if people die. I want my own form of reliable transportation, in my control, not the government's.

Vicki, Baltimore, USA

"As if the British police would never 'bark orders' ...."

Sarah, Leeds, UK

You should come here Sarah, after some objective observation you might start to understand the difference in the relationship between the authorities and populace to back home.

Dave , Beijing, China

I am in Wuhan and we have had snow on the ground for 2 weeks +.

Normally you get one day of snow a year and temperatures very rarely drop below zero so this is very very unusual.

On Dec 29th it was 14 degrees and we spent the afternoon on the balcony in the sun.

Also, most dwellings south of the Yangtze River are not fitted with heating.

Dean, Wuhan, China

Sandra writes..." Read up on global warming people... it doesn't necessarily mean the entire Earth becomes warmer, it means that warmer temperatures in some areas cause havoc in others. 90 degree heat in Moscow, snow in temperate South Africa, 170 mph winds in Europe, floods in Los Angeles, tornadoes in London, etc."

So Sandra, if it's hot..GW, If it's cold, GW, if it's raining..GW, if it's dry..GW, if it's windy..GW...if it snows..GW, if it doesn't snow..GW. Since you can blame all weather on global warming, where does a nice sunny day fit in??

John Scarry, New York, NY

To Goldberg, NY. I live in Nanjing, capital of the eastern Jiangsu province, and we had 24" (60cms) of snow in three days.

Tom, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PRC

What's wrong with the people? Stranded, hungry, cold, and not knowing when the disaster is going to over! Will it be so hard for rich people to iamge?

XIN Ling, Beijing, PRC China

Those poor people, especially mothers with children. Regardless of the cause, there must be a fair amount of suffering among that many people. Poor things, I hope they get out of there and back to whatever local accomodations they have.

Jean, Albuq, New Mexico

Oh the horrors of "Global Climate Change"! I am going to fire up my charcoal grill, light up the porch with my SUV, and cook some steaks. Plural. And beer! No veggies.

Jon Fraud Carry, Washington, DC

"the worst weather in fifty years...."
So, then, global climate change was worse 51 years ago than today?

yakoo, minneapolis/minnesota,

Hey, Sandra in Seattle, WA nothing like a good world catastrophy scare based on a puny 100 years of weather records & some core soil samples. What happened to the 1970's "coming of the 2nd ice age" warning? I predict global warming will give eventually give way to another coming disater theory, maybe a meteor strike. Forgot, that ones been done already.
Hey, Bob in Bristol, CN I'm all for alternatives but when it jacks my cost of living past what I can earn & the FedGov takes more of what I barely have now to pay for all the "green fixes" I become more concerned with being able to feed, house, clothe & pay for my children's education today than the "mother earth" 100 yeqars from now. Does that make me a bad guy? Maybe to you & all the other fatcats who can afford the USA's Nanny Government's edicts. But to my family it makes me a good dad who is looking out for their welfare so they make it to adulthood whether it's hotter when they get there or not.

Mike, South Yarmouth, USA/Massachusetts

The average Chinese worker in a Guangzhou factory earns less than 25 US dollars per week for 40 hours labour. Let’s compare their carbon footprint to those of individuals with in the West with SUVs shopping at Wal-Mart stocking up on goods made where? In China. The migrant workers in Guangzhou can barely afford to pay for food, let alone a car, why the hell should they care about climate change?

I am disgusted by the comments of ‘Poetic Justice’and ‘Let it snow’ from some people here. Is it really justice for these individuals who can only afford to travel home once or twice a year to be with their families, to have to spend the Western equivalent of Christmas, sitting in the cold, outdoors, with no food, money, or means of washing?

Catie, Beijing,

i'm a chinese!i have to tell you that the snow diaster did'nt defeat our chinese people but only slow down our steps to go home!AND of course our government have their confidence to solve their people's problems!i'am pity that most of you did'nt know our countyr!

jerry xiao, nanjing/jiangshu, CHINA

I'm appalled that Americans are turning this situation into a forum for their opinions about China's energy policies. A young woman with 2 children who become stranded travelling to see her parents for the holiday are no more responsible for China's policies than I am. Craig Watson, I'm sure no one sat back in comfort and said 'let it rain fire' on San Diego last October.

Mike Knoblock, Crossville, TN

Maybe we should send those last 2 drowning over-heated polar bears to China...or maybe Greenland to skate on that solid frozen river...or how about just sending them to the USA...there is plenty of snow here! Maybe Gore can adopt them!

LC, Knoxville, TN

Send in Al Gore to rescue them.

John, Oxford , New York USA

Al Gore does not condemn China or India for their violations. Let it snow!

Craig Watson, San Diego, CA

Mass transit fails again.....

Vince, Lenexa, KS

Al is in his Gulfstream V cleaning up the planet.

Jimmy, Atlanta,

I noticed that the article used 'barked orders' referring to how the Chinese police treat their people. That's funny because you would never see use of language like that when it comes to the British. As if the British police would never 'bark orders' ....

Sarah, Leeds, UK

i'm glad i'm in America, where people start fussing over 36 hour airplane delays.

Hector, Vienna, Virgnia

Thats a smart answer Frick. Destroy more nature for oil. Nevermind finding a green alternative source of energy. Your kids will thank you when they have to deal with the problems caused by selfish, closed minded people like yourself. Yeah, you've got it all figured out.

Robert, Bristol, Cn

for those who do not know, the affected area is not used to snowfall. the winter there is generally mild and the households in the area are not even equipped with heating.

that explains the chao.

Tung Ng, Heidelberg, Germany

Read up on global warming people... it doesn't necessarily mean the entire Earth becomes warmer, it means that warmer temperatures in some areas cause havoc in others. 90 degree heat in Moscow, snow in temperate South Africa, 170 mph winds in Europe, floods in Los Angeles, tornadoes in London, etc.

Sandra, Seattle, WA, USA

The biggest problem with Chinese snow is your hungry 2 hours later.

Peter, Gloucester, VA USA

Everybody to your SUVs!
It's our duty to warm up the globe to help those frozen Chinese workers.
Do your part now!

Mickey, Sunny California, USA

It's just that it's snowing. I spent a winter in Shanghai-cold and wet, but virtually no snow/ice. So it's like when Atlanta gets a few inches. Us Northerners go on, but they have no equipment, nor are used to it-causes gridlock.

Scotty, Pottstown, PA USA

There MUST be a way to blame this on George Bush!

Noelle Hood, Dallas, TX,

I've been to this rail station. 200k outside that place would be almost impossible. It's the size of Waterloo's station...

I doubt that this area of China could handle the traffic if every family had a car, like in America. The roads were already quite crowded with as little traffic as we saw.

Brian Wohlgemuth, Huntington, IN, USA

The biggest polluters in the world get dumped on. Poetic Justice.

Wade Johnson, Powhatan, Virginia

Amen to frickfricker! We should be independent! We have enough oil in sand and off coast and in Alaska to do the job and then some! It would be a blow to some Eastern countries who think we can't do it! Be In control, instead of controlled! Our economy would soar! It would do more for this country then naything we could do!

HLL, San Diego, California, USA

And we think our airlines bog down..Hope this gets fixed fast or it could be like New Orleans and the Super Bowl...

Cyn, Lexington, Kentucky

Hey ALGORE! Add this to your global warming theory. There must be some way you can twist this into a climate catastrophe! Hurry and ride a bike to save the ChiComs!
Afterall, they will soon be taking over!

Patrick, Corona, CA

They call it Global Climate Change now so that any unusual weather can be blamed on dreaded man-made Carbon Dioxide.

Tony Marshall, Seattle, WA

Save us gorbull warming man save us!!!!

Robert G, Rockville, USA/MD

ok, but how much snow was there in inches ; big error to leave that out, don't you think

goldberg, ny, ny

So much for global warming!

paul allen, menlo park, ca, USA

Luckily China has the People's Army to keep the...um..."people" in check.

Vink, surrey, uk

Yep, sures looks like Global Warming to me. Where is Al Gore when a freezing CHICOM needs him.

Melvin, Jacksonville, USA

America, stop clamoring for mass transit. Get over your earth worship and make nuclear electricity. Start drilling off of California, Alaska and Texas. Construct 3 more refineries in the U.S. to create jobs and reduce fuel prices and slay inflation. Stay independant, CREATE AND USE MORE ENERGY so that you aren't at the mercy of a government controlled system witnessed in this article. Everyone have their own car and remain in control of your own safety and destiny. Stop yielding your God given rights to a mother-hen state.

Frickfricker, Fayetteville, Arkansas