久久亚洲国产成人影院-久久亚洲国产的中文-久久亚洲国产高清-久久亚洲国产精品-亚洲图片偷拍自拍-亚洲图色视频

  Home>News Center>China
       
 

A time for giving, a time for sharing
By Raymond Chou (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-12-25 00:04

Christmas has come to China, but the old Western holiday has taken on a brand new Eastern face.

People in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province, queue up at a church on Christmas Eve. [newsphoto]
Even though few Chinese can sing Christmas carols, shops in the country's biggest cities are festooned with glittering lights and decked with Santa Claus statues -- and even some live actors in costumes. Millions of greeting cards are whooshing through the nation's postal system and telecommunications networks.

Friday night was party time at almost every bar, every fashion district and every college campus.

More and more urban Chinese have embraced the Western holiday, but they have generally stripped it of its religious origin and given it a distinctly commercial flavour.

"China during the Christmas season is definitely a retailer's paradise," said Tyra Guo, an editor at Netease, an urban white-collar worker who is the target of the holiday-driven shopping boom.

"It seems every fancy store offers some kind of Christmas special. Even movie theaters have the so-called four-movie Christmas eve," said Guo.

"The bars in Beijing will be so crowded that I have chosen to stay put and have a home party with just a few friends."

A girl poses for photograph bathed with a man-made snow at the Bo'ai Square in the downtown Nanjing on Christmas Eve. [newsphoto]
It is no secret that Christmas in China is mainly for the young and the chic.

"We love holidays like Valentine's Day and Christmas because they give us an opportunity to keep in touch with friends and relax a little," said Zhang Hua, a dancer at a Beijing performing arts troupe. "We don't really care what Christmas means in other places, but over here it means partying all night long with friends."

Zhang adds that, compared with these latest imports, traditional Chinese holidays seem old-fashioned.

"Well, the Spring Festival is all about eating and drinking till you drop. No wonder it has lost some of its appeal because we're living in an age of abundance now. You can eat like that every day if you want."

"I don't think Chinese holidays will lose their relevance. The 7-day Lunar New Year holiday still gives us a chance to travel and have family reunions," said Michelle Ni, an employee of BP in Shanghai.

Ni spent last night in a swanky hotel, with her beau and a few select friends.

This afternoon she will be in another party thrown by her boss. "Somehow in urban areas the festive atmosphere is stronger for Christmas," she said.

However, the holiday spirit of giving and sharing is reflected in more ways than cards and exquisite packages.

Ana Gonzalez, a Spanish teacher at Beijing International Studies University, has a very special gift for someone she does not even know very well.

When she found out that the daughter of her school's cleaning lady had dropped out of school, she decided to fund the 16-year-old until she completes high school.

"She has two brothers and a father who has no job. Well, I'm not really making a lot of money here, but if I don't buy this or that, I can save the money and make this Christmas truly wonderful for this girl and her family," said Gonzalez.

On a chilly day last week, a group of Shell Petroleum employees brought loads of presents to the Beijing New Century School, which serves children of migrant workers. The team, who had been volunteer English teachers at that school, was made up of local employees and one expatriate.

The books, toys and stuffed animals were handed out as prizes for games that they played with the kids, who did not know Santa Claus and thought Christmas fell on that day.

Wang Lin, a 14-year-old girl whose parents are from Sichuan, said that her Christmas wish was that her elder sister could get into college and her parents would not quarrel any more.

"It's freezing today," said one of the Shell volunteers, "and I'm glad we've brought a little joy and warmth to these children. That's what this holiday is all about."



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

A time for giving, a time for sharing

 

   
 

Nation joins groups against money laundering

 

   
 

Premier calls for greater UN role in Iraq

 

   
 

President visits scientists

 

   
 

High-end overseas professionals in demand

 

   
 

Afghan cabinet, minus warlords, sworn in

 

   
  Tougher penalties set out for IPR piracy
   
  Legislator: Human rights improving
   
  Tycoon's wife charged of defrauding HK$89 million
   
  Authorities pledge to protect arable land
   
  Grounded jetliners to resume services
   
  Fake cigarette makers closed; 20 detained
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Christmas dinner prices hard to swallow
   
World celebrates made-in-China Christmas
   
World celebrates 'made-in-China' Christmas
   
World celebrates 'made-in-China' Christmas
   
Hope fade for white Christmas
   
Businesses vie for jolly Christmas returns
   
Christmas in Baghdad sees mixed emotions
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: h亚洲| 欧美一级在线视频 | 日韩美女免费线视频 | 欧美成人a人片 | 欧美日韩在线播一区二区三区 | 国产自偷自拍 | 亚洲精品久久久久久久777 | 国产欧美日韩亚洲精品区2345 | 成人免费影院 | 欧美亚洲免费久久久 | 国产精品毛片va一区二区三区 | 国产欧美精品一区二区三区四区 | 乱系列中文字幕在线视频 | 免费在线亚洲 | 91刘亦菲精品福利在线 | 日韩欧美综合在线二区三区 | 成人精品国产亚洲欧洲 | 国产成人精品综合在线 | 久久精品在线视频 | 在线精品国产成人综合第一页 | 综合亚洲一区二区三区 | 香港黄页亚洲一级 | 天堂mv亚洲mv在线播放9蜜 | 一级片免| 91成人爽a毛片一区二区 | 日产乱码精品一二三区 | 久久久午夜精品理论片 | 在线看a级片 | 亚洲精品久久久久久久久久久网站 | 国产成人精品区在线观看 | 亚洲午夜一区二区三区 | 日本一级毛片中文字幕 | 午夜主播福利视频在线观看 | 热99re久久国超精品首页 | 性a爱片免费视频性 | 成年免费在线观看 | 免费国产99久久久香蕉 | 国内精品一区二区三区最新 | 视频一区在线免费观看 | 国产亚洲欧洲精品 | 1717she国产精品免费视频 |