A guide dog and its trainer take a train in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
Guide dogs are busy preparing for the country's largest annual migration
XI'AN, Jan. 12, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Guide dogs are trained to adapt to taking bullet trains in order to help visually impaired passengers navigate during the Spring Festival travel rush. The travel rush began 15 days ahead of the Spring Festival (Chinese Lunar New Year), which falls on Feb. 5 this year. Nearly 3 billion trips will be made on China's transport system.
China has over 17 million blind and visually-impaired people. Many are restricted to home due to the inconvenience of going out.
According to Chinese regulations, passengers are banned from carrying animals on the trains. However, the China Railway Corporation and the China Disabled Persons' Federation formulated a regulation in 2015 allowing visually impaired people to take guide dogs on trains.
A guide dog takes a train in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
A guide dog and its trainer wait to board a train at Baoji South Railway Station in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2020.(Xinhua/Li Yibo)
A guide dog takes a train in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
A guide dog and its trainer get off a train at Baoji South Railway Station in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2020.(Xinhua/Li Yibo)
A guide dog and its trainer get on a train at Baoji South Railway Station in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2020. Guide dogs are trained to adapt to taking bullet trains in order to help visually impaired passengers navigate during the Spring Festival travel rush. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
A guide dog waits to board a train at Xi'an North Railway Station in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)■
