1.97 billion

CHINA'S annual Spring Festival transportation season came to an end on March 5 after 40 days of intensive operation. Trains, coaches, ships and planes handled some 1.97 billion passenger trips to all corners of China for the family reunion. Some 90 per cent of travellers went by bus and train.

130

SO far China has 130 shelters to provide emergency protection for homeless children. Experts estimate that China has at least 150,000 waifs between the ages of 10 and 15 wandering its streets. Most are from impoverished rural areas. Divorced parents and family poverty are among the main causes of the growing number of homeless children.

82%

SOME 82 per cent of Chinese Internet users are in favour of martial arts fiction being included in high school textbooks, according to a recent survey conducted by Sina.com, one of China's largest Internet portal. More than 16,000 people took part in the survey, which came amid a nationwide debate stirred up by the appearance of excerpts of two martial art fictions in high school textbooks. Despite its popularity among the general public, education authorities thought it lacked "educational value?and a sense of seriousness.

2.5 trillion

THE deficit of China's old-age pension fund has reached

2.5 trillion yuan (US$301 billion), a sum equal to a whole year's government revenue, statistics from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security said. If the situation shows no improvement, in a few years many people may find themselves without a pension when they reach retirement age, officials said.