The Spring Festival is a time for family gatherings – but not for all. Workers in China are depriving themselves from the warmth of some time with their loved ones and opting to stay behind and work their way through the holiday in the hope of amassing much needed cash to make ends meet. /CFP Photo

This photo, taken on Tuesday, shows Zhang Lu selling balloons outside a shopping center in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. Zhang travels between four different cities both in the north and south, seeking small business opportunities. He has three children, two of whom are college students with increasing expenses. As the only breadwinner, Zhang will have to limit his holiday to only two or three days. /CFP Photo

Tao Jianming and his wife are vendors selling phone cases on a shopping street in Qingdao city. This is the second year they decided to work during the holiday as they see an increased number of customers. Their annual income can reach 200,000 yuan (around 29,000 US dollars), allowing them to buy a new apartment in Qingdao in installments. /CFP Photo

Wang has not been home for the Chinese New Year for years now as gift boxes are extremely popular during the holiday. The more she sells out, the more bonuses she gets. She is gathering money to help her daughter, who is going to get married very soon. /CFP Photo