The Yanshiping Passenger Station in Amdo county of the Xizang autonomous region. [Photo proved to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Yanshiping Passenger Station in Xizang autonomous region began its first-ever Spring Festival travel rush on Feb 2. This annual event, with this year's travel period spanning 40 days, is the world's largest human migration, as people across China journey home for the holidays.

This occasion at the station coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway's full operation. Over the past two decades, this "skyward railway" has transformed socioeconomic development on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a change that Yanshiping town is now poised to experience.

Situated at an elevation of 4,721 meters in Amdo county, Yanshiping Station had long been dormant due to limited infrastructure and low passenger demand. This changed when Yanshiping town was designated a "characteristic town" of Xizang, spurring local development and boosting tourism.

To meet growing travel needs, the station opened to passengers on Dec 11, 2025, ending a history of "trains passing through without stopping" since the Qinghai-Xizang Railway launched in 2006. It now stands as the highest-altitude passenger station along the line.

As of Feb 1, the station had handled 4,008 departures and 3,645 arrivals, with a single-day passenger peak of 315 travelers.