Hundreds of thousands of people are still stranded in airports and train stations in China following the worst winter weather for decades.

Many people have been waiting in train stations for days, not wanting to miss their chance to get home in time for the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Heavy snow and freezing conditions have hit central and eastern areas, paralysing the transport system at the start of the busy holiday period.

Thousands of police and military personnel have been deployed to control crowds at stations and to distribute food and blankets.

In the southern city of Guangzhou, around 400,000 people have been camping out in the street or in temporary shelters, many of them with little food or money.

Premier Wen Jiabao visited passengers at Guangzhou railway station and said that every level of government was working on restoring power to train lines.

The authorities released an open letter urging China's millions of migrant workers to abandon their travel plans and stay where they were to avoid the chaos.

But for many people, Lunar New Year is their only chance to see their families. After saving for their tickets for months, they have refused to give up hope.

Some airports have now reopened, but the authorities have warned that there could be further bad weather to come.

For those passengers who have managed to board trains home, there is still no guarantee that they will be able to get back again.