A simple wedding ceremony, free from glimmering stage settings, extravagant banquet or gorgeous bridal veil, was held on Sunday at Hangzhou Railway Station in east China’s Zhejiang Province. The surprise celebration took place after the groom postponed original plans for the big day due to onerous security missions amid the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush. /zjol Photo

Zhang Qinghua, an armed policeman, had forgone his marital leave ahead of the Spring Festival and put off his wedding ceremony scheduled for January 23 in order to volunteer for the mission of safeguarding passengers’ security at the train station during the annual “chunyun” rush. /zjol Photo

While on duty patrolling the station on Sunday, Zhang was shocked to spot his beloved fiancée, Huang Mengjiao, who could not help but burst into tears at the sight of the hard-working Zhang after traveling over 100 kilometers from another city. /zjol Photo

Zhang’s comrades later held a simple wedding ceremony for the couple at their dorm inside the station. Holding flowers and expressing love, the couple was photographed staring into each other’s eyes and grinning amid the cheers and best wishes of colleagues despite the less than romantic environment. /zjol Photo

The Spring Festival travel rush, dubbed the “largest human migration on Earth”, started on January 13 this year with some three billion journeys expected to be made. In order to ensure the safe and sound trips of the passengers, numerous policemen and security guards across the country have sacrificed their personal lives to remain at their posts. For those who are not able to head home for the family reunions because they are dedicated to protecting others, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude, and wish them a joyful Chinese New Year. /zjol Photo