"Chunyun" is the word used to refer to the extremely high number of people making trips in China around the time of Chinese New Year.

In fact, the number of fare-paying passengers during the "Chunyun period" is likely to exceed the actualy population of China. For example, in 2006 the number hit the 2-billion mark.

Railways bear the brunt - and when the huge number of people heading home for the holidays collides head on with an embarrassing shortage of actual seats - the scene is set for a cut-throat market in the illegal resale of high priced tickets.

Before the "Chunyun period" actually gets under way, Chinese railway authorities and the police department say they'll crack down on ticket reselling - but so far their efforts have not been obvious.

The Shanghai-based "Guang Ming Website" published a commentary suggesting that a "real-name system" can play a more effective role in solving the problem.

The article cites a program run in east China's Zhejiang Province, during the "Chunyun period" early this year.

They laid on seven special trains for migrant workers and all the tickets for these trains were sold using the real-name system, which effectively prevented illegal reselling and consequently protected the rights of passengers.

The article argues that Zhejiang's experience proved the real-name system's feasibility and effectiveness.

It says the real-name system is passenger-oriented and better protects their benefits. Moreover, it moves to prevent the reselling of tickets from the minute they are issued.

This article suggests that the Chinese Ministry of Railways consider the widespread use of the real-name system, and use it as a scalpel to cut out what they describes as the "tumor" in the "Chunyun period".