The Student Taking Classes in Traditional Culture

　　A volunteer helps Ashurov Aziz (second from left) adjust his tie on Sunday. TANG ZHENJIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Editor's note: Spring Festival is the most important event in the Chinese calendar. It is a time for family reunions, when tens of millions travel home, with some covering vast distances to be with their loved ones. The 40-day travel rush, known as Chunyun, which straddles Lunar New Year, is the world's largest annual human migration. However, some people put the comfort of others before their own enjoyment by volunteering during the festive period. Below, we profile one such individual.

At North Railway Station in Xi'an, capital of the northwestern province of Shaanxi, Ashurov Aziz was busy assisting passengers on the high-speed rail line by carrying their luggage and helping them have their photos taken.

He also handed out traditional Spring Festival couplets to passersby.

"Please stay behind the yellow line," said the Tajikistan native in fluent Chinese, while helping a woman to insert her ticket into the checking machine.

The 24-year-old student at Xi'an Jiaotong University and four of his international schoolmates are gaining unique experience by working as volunteer train attendants.

After studying in the city for two years, Aziz decided to become a railway volunteer and help passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush, aka Chunyun, as a way of immersing himself in traditional Chinese culture.

"I had long been told that the travel rush, known as the biggest annual migration in the world, is one of most special experiences in China. So I really looked forward to being part of it," he said.

It is not easy being a volunteer when the station experiences its biggest annual surge in passenger numbers. During this year's 40-day Chunyun period, Xi'an North Station expects to see about 12.3 million passenger trips, a rise of more than 12 percent from last year, according to the Xi'an bureau of China Railway Corp.

Starting at 9 am, Aziz meets more than 100 passengers per day, who turn to him for all kinds of help, from explaining how to use the free Wi-Fi on the train to reminding them not to miss a train when it departs. Sometimes he is so busy that he doesn't even have time to take a break.

"When I see the surprised looks on the faces of the travelers, I feel more than satisfied," he said.

It's not the first time he has spent Spring Festival in China. During the winter vacation of his freshman year, when most of the other students either went home or traveled around the country, he chose to stay in Xi'an for the Lunar New Year celebrations. He was captivated by the bustle and excitement.

"It wasn't until I saw that people would spare no effort to travel thousands of kilometers for a family reunion that I realized the significance of Spring Festival for Chinese people. Although we don't have the same holiday (in Tajikistan), we do share the same feelings," he said.

He is planning to share his experiences online to encourage more foreign students to volunteer during the travel rush, because the soaring number of foreign visitors coming to China means there is a growing need for volunteers who speak a variety of languages.