Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world. It has also become a festive occasion for an increasing number of Chinese. They can afford the luxury of flowers, Christmas trees and a night out in bars. But rather than a religious event, "Xmas" has become a time to shop and have fun for the Chinese middle class.

Similar to many other western things already common to Chinese, the Christian festival is now in vogue in the populous Asian country as well. In the biggest gift shopping mall in Beijing, throngs of people flood in to get their best buys for Christmas.

Li Huimin, a shop manager of Shangpin Floral House, said, "The Christmas sale season began late in October. Almost all of the items related to "Xmas" have become hot. And most of the buyers are the upper middle classes who care more about quality of life than their budget. "

She said daily sales could total as much as 10,000 yuan (US$1,209.64) in her shop, one of the more than 15 "Xmas" shops in the mall. Du Donghong and Chen Jia were among the busy Christmas shoppers. But they weren't doing it to decorate a house -- rather for their bar's Christmas Eve celebration. From Christmas trees to tiny decorations, they searched shops far and wide to find just the right inspirations for their holiday fanfare. In the end, they spent almost 2,000 yuan (US$241.93) for 4 full bags of goods.

Their bar is located on Houhai Lake, one of the hottest night life venues in Beijing. Like all the bars in the area, they are now busy adding the final touches to their decorations. Christmas has become an excellent occasion for business. And they plan to capitalize on the opportunity.

Buffalo, a bar owner, said, "We want to play western music in harmony with the atmosphere in the bar. People can have a cozy place to themselves to have a serene and romantic Xmas eve."

Of course, all of this "romance" does not come cheaply. The bill for such a dinner costs about 40 US dollars. According to Chen Jia, it's not surprising that most of those taking advantage of Christmas dinners like this come from the upper middle class. They can afford to have an evening such as this. In a sense, Christmas has become an excuse for the busy metropolitan people to slow down and celebrate their life.

In Beijing, as well as in many other big cities throughout China, Christmas has become much more than just a "foreign" word. A commercialized version of the idea, if not the spirit, of Christmas -- has caught on, leaving a joyful and crowded trail of Chinese celebrations -- in its merry wake.

(CCTV.com December 25, 2003)