On the way home

Local people hike home carrying various festival foods for the upcoming Lunar New Year on the slick highway after an ice storm in Leishan county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, in Guizhou province. Chen Peiliang / China Daily

Freezing rain closes a mountainside highway in Guizhou province, forcing people returning for Spring Festival to hike home.

The ice storm has put a chill on Spring Festival's heartwarming homecoming for people heading to family reunions in Leishan county. Freezing rain and fog have shut down Leigong Mountain's highway in Gui-zhou province's Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture two weeks before China's biggest annual celebration.

The closure forced people returning to Yongle county and Datang village to hike 20 kilometers on the slick road. Some hauled luggage and festival foods－even a live pig dangling from a bamboo yoke. The trek took about five hours. Severe weather affects the highway every year. Local traffic authorities have sent emergency vehicles to ensure safety.