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Frugal Spring Festival activities mean less stress and more temple fairs and fun for families
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Fewer banquets, gifts and galas; more reunion meals at home instead of restaurants; grassroots cultural shows: This year Chinese observe Spring Festival frugally but still have fun.
The frugality campaign, launched late in 2012 by central authorities, has caused big changes to the most important Chinese holiday.
“In previous years, we usually had festival eve dinners in restaurants, which provided fine food. But we missed the atmosphere of our whole family gathering together to prepare the food with our own hands,” says Wu Zilong of Shijiazhuang, capital of the northern province of Hebei.
In the past, leftovers symbolized surplus and status. This year, dinner comes in more appropriate portions, says Wu, expressing worries about waste.
Since President Xi Jinping took the helm of the Communist Party of China in November 2012, the Party has issued detailed regulations to root out extravagance by government workers. These including requiring officials to travel with smaller entourages, simplifying receptions, and practicing frugality while the austerity drive continues apace. Giving lavish gifts and serving costly delicacies and expensive liquor have been banned.
Prior to the week of the New Year that began last Friday, the Party ordered more supervision and welcomed tip-offs from citizens and the media about excessive spending and gifts.
Sales of expensive liquor and tobacco have dropped drastically compared with previous years.
“People buy famous brands mainly for gifts, so pricy liquor does not sell well if fewer people send gifts. Prices have had to come down, otherwise there would be no sales at all,” says a salesman surnamed Han at RT-Mart super in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province in east China.
The change has even affected rubbish collectors and recyclers. Zhu Yuankui, a dealer in Jinan, says business is bad, since people seldom buy luxury goods with excessive packaging for themselves. The amount of quality packaging he collected dropped by half in January.
In the past, people stored up large amounts of food in advance to treat guests, which usually led to waste. “Supermarkets remain open during the holiday, so we can buy goods any time we need to,” says Li Lan, another resident of Shijiazhuang.
Frugality is also reflected in the holiday displays of local governments.
In Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province, there were no fresh flower pots on streets. Undamaged lanterns used in 2013 were reused, saving around 30,000 yuan (US$5,000).
“Though there were fewer decorations, workers cleaned up the old lamps in public venues and our county’s atmosphere remains very festive,” says a local park and sanitation official.
Despite the austerity, grassroots traditions, such as temple fairs, are going strong. More than 700 exhibitions or folklore shows are taking place in Hebei, said Wang Zhenru, a provincial publicity official.
Spring Festival is the most important time for family reunions and people who spend most of the time working away from home usually travel back home in crowded trains, just for short gatherings with parents or children.
It turns out that all the restrictions on spending have generally eased pressure and people feel more relaxed, no longer fretting over buying expensive gifts to curry favor with officials. This year, the time spent with families is higher quality time, at a lower cost.
“Spring Festival should have its own flavor, but it should not be the smell of firecrackers or roasting meat. It should be a flavor of reunion,” says Li Yuhe, a farmer in Qilihai township, Ninghe County, Hebei.
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