Beijingers will no longer just have to dream of a white Christmas
as it has come with a flurry this year.
The chilly winter air has even engulfed a Christmas village at the
Beijing Exhibition Plaza, which is open free of charge to the
public during the festive season.
In
a bid to introduce some of the Christmas spirit more associated
with the season in Western countries, a series of events has been
launched at the 1,000-square-meter village.
In
the village spotlight is a Christmas school where a cheerful Santa
tells visitors Christmas stories and customs.
"For us, Christmas is more an opportunity to have some fun than a
time for religious reflection," said Yin, a young staff member who
works for a Beijing-based enterprise.
"But it's nice to get to know a bit more about the holiday."
A
lot of shopping malls have extended their opening hours to midnight
in the lead up to Christmas, giving already busy customers enough
time to look for gifts and other holiday items.
Illuminated trees and festively decorated store windows help spread
the festive cheer, but the biggest attraction still seems to be the
opportunity to buy.
"I
love shopping more than going to a bar during Christmas and New
Year because the significant discounts help me buy things that I
think are too expensive at other times," said Ma Nina, an employee
of a foreign-funded company in Beijing.
On
university campuses, the Christmas atmosphere is also obvious.
Christmas cards and posters announcing parties are seen
everywhere.
"I
started to celebrate Christmas after reading A Christmas
Carol by Charles Dickens," said Cao, a senior student at Xiamen
University, in east China's Fujian
Province.
"It is such a romantic holiday for people to exchange gifts and
sing carols."
Some students at Xiamen will spend their Christmas Eve at a church
on Gulangyu Island where Christmas carols are sung until late into
the night.
Business people are also making the best of Christmas. From Karaoke
bars to five-star hotels, various kinds of Christmas parties are
being offered.
According to a survey covering 2,000 people in 10 major Chinese
cities, more than half of them plan to spend 10 percent of their
monthly income on celebrating Christmas.
The Department of Public Security's fire unit has warned that the
rules of fire prevention and control must be observed during the
season.
To
avoid a replica of the disaster that took place on Christmas Eve
two years ago in central China's Henan
Province, 80 inspecting teams have been sent to examine fire
equipment city-wide in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan
Province.
(China Daily December 24, 2002)