Spring Festival 2021: Staying close despite the distance

BEIJING,Feb. 10,2021 -- A news report by China.org.cn on the special 2021 Spring Festival:

 

The Spring Festival is just around the corner and the festive atmosphere can be felt everywhere in China.

To many children,the Spring Festival is the part of the year they most looked forward to. Putting on their new clothes,getting together with the whole family,making dumplings and receiving red packets… Many people still do that every year. Nowadays,young parents would let their children join them in putting up spring couplets,making dumplings and so on. It's a great way to pass on traditional Spring Festival culture,which is quite meaningful. These days,people are living better lives,and wearing new clothes and eating dumplings are not as rare as it used to be. These activities are actually more for the sense of ritual: Enjoy family time and celebrate the Chinese New Year together.

The Spring Festival is evolving as time goes on. For example,most cities in China have stopped setting off fireworks during the holiday for environmental reasons. Moreover,many people also choose to go travelling with their family for the holiday.

The 2021 Spring Festival would be all the more different. There has been a resurgence of outbreaks in some places and as it's a contagious disease,the most efficient way to control it is to avoid as much human contact as possible. But it's easier said than done. After all,China has such a large population. During the 2019 Spring Festival,the number of people traveling by train alone was bigger than the entire population of the United States. It would be highly risky during the pandemic.

To help curb the spread of COVID-19,people are encouraged to stay where they are instead of going back to their hometown. Actually,many people are choosing to do so this year,especially in big cities. Most of those who live in their hometown have also cancelled their travel plans.

This is a valuable quality: A lot of people in China tend to think beyond themselves. It's important to spend time with one's family,but it's also important not to add a risk of infection for others. When the virus first broke out last year,the idea that staying home was the best way to help fight the epidemic went viral in China. But,encouraging people to stay where they are doesn't mean people are being demanded to do so. On the contrary,China is making sure local authorities don't create extra obstacles. For example,people from low-risk areas are free to travel. Besides that,there are many measures to make sure people who stay can have a nice Spring Festival. In Beijing,people are getting free mobile data packages; consumer vouchers are being issued; and many businesses are giving out bonuses to employees who decide to stay.

Still,it is undeniable that people would feel disappointed more or less. With the help of telecommunication,people could also "see" their family and "join" the family reunion. Being apart for a while doesn't mean people will become distant. Hopefully,all the contribution people are making now will pay off and life will be back on track soon.

China Mosaic

http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Spring Festival 2021: Staying close despite the distance

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2021-02/10/content_77207371.htm

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