Safety ensured

Spring Festival is the occasion for family reunions. But while most families are getting together to celebrate, there are some people who are still on duty to ensure public safety.

"As the Spring Festival period features the biggest flow of people in a year, safety is a major concern," said Zhang Yubing, a police officer in Yangcheng county.

Zhang is the head of a police station in Yangcheng's Manghe township. The station is responsible for 18 villages and a population of 13,000.

The eight-day Spring Festival holiday, spanning Jan 28 to Feb 4 this year, is a period dedicated to family reunions. Most people left their work duties behind.

But this was not the case for Zhang and his eight colleagues; they worked eight days on shifts.

"The big traffic flow, drunken driving and the risks arising from fireworks are among our major concerns," Zhang said.

While some police officers were on the roads to ensure traffic safety, others were busy visiting villages, cautioning residents about fireworks, drinking and other risks, according to Zhang.

"We walked more than 20,000 steps a day during the period," Zhang said.

Also on duty during the national holiday were customs officers at Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, medics at various hospitals throughout Shanxi, and community officials, to name just a few.

Zhang Qi contributed to this story.