Li's father died of a cerebral hemorrhage and her mother is unemployed, which makes life quite difficult for the family. Since her home is in a suburban county of Beijing, she can only go home once every month.

But she was lucky to be chosen to study in the Hongzhi Class at Guangqumen Middle School, a key middle school in Chongwen District in Beijing. The Hongzhi Class is specially designed for excellent students from poverty-stricken families.

Students in the Hongzhi Class are exempted from all costs. They also can receive 120 yuan (US$14) for living costs every month. The main source of the funds comes from donations.

Yao Xi, a classmate of Li Yang, has a family background similar to Li's. Yao's father died six years ago, and her mother, a proofreader, raised the girl on her own.

Yao's mother missed the family reunion dinner last New Year's Eve because she had to work..

"But she will not miss this year's reunion dinner," Yao said cheerfully, explaining that her mother would not go to work during this year's festival.

"My grandparents and aunts are also going to join us. I feel very happy although I will not be given gift money or new clothes," Yao said.

NANJING: Chen Zhigang and Cai Yan, the newly wed couple, are to fly to Paris and spend their honeymoon in Europe during the Spring Festival.

"We have long dreamed to spend the best time of our life in Paris, the city of romance. Maybe we will have a wedding in the cathedral there, as is often seen in the movies," said Cai, an air hostess of China Eastern Airlines Jiangsu Ltd.

The couple also plans to visit Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries during their 15-day trip in Europe. They long to see the "excellent environment for living and wonderful public facilities there," according to Cai. Chen, a local securities dealer, said he chose Paris as their first destination partly because it is easier to get a visa to France than to many other nations.

"My application for a visa to the United States has been turned down three times, and certainly I don't want a fourth time to spoil my honeymoon," he added.

Chen and Cai are among the 20,000 Nanjing citizens who will spend the Chinese Lunar New Year travelling abroad, according to statistics provided by the Nanjing Municipal Tourism Bureau. Most of these travellers will visit Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Europe.

During the Spring Festival, Zhang Wuguo will be selling his home-made lanterns at the lantern fair in the Confucius Temple area along Qinhuai River in this capital of East China's Jiangsu Province.

"The lantern fair during the Spring Festival has been a local tradition ever since the Six Dynasties Period (AD 222-589), and my forefathers have been making lanterns since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)," Zhang claimed.

In preparation for this year's fair, Zhang's family has been making lanterns since July. They will showcase more than 15 kinds and a total of 1,000 lanterns at the fair.

According to Zhang, many local lanterns makers, including his family, gave up the craft of lantern making over time because of low profits. The fair along Qinhuai River used to be dominated by lanterns from Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Since last year though, the local government has been inviting a number of local craftsmen to participate in the fair, and the number of visitors to last year's fair was estimated to have exceeded 300,000.

SHANGHAI: Dining out on the eve of the Lunar New Year has become the "in" thing to do among Shanghainese.

Reservations for nearly all of the renowned restaurants must be booked two months in advance.

"Shanghai people are keen on leading a relaxed life style, and preparing dinner for the festival at home is too complicated and tiring for us," said Wang Quanyu, a customer lucky enough to clinch a table for 10 relatives at Meiyuancun Restaurant, one of the most famous eateries in the city.

About 350 tables were booked within just a few weeks. The holiday meals range in price from 800 yuan to 1,500 yuan (US$98 to US$183).

Most restaurants have prepared set menus with 10 courses for 10 persons, including cold dishes, stir-fried dishes and fruit, costing less than 1,600 yuan (US$195).

Although prices are double or triple that amount at five-star hotels, tables there are also sold out. The hotels mostly serve Cantonese and Shanghai dishes.

"By eating out, we save ourselves the time of preparing dishes and cleaning up after a large family dinner and have more time for entertainment," Wang said.

Festival traditions have changed much over the years - and it shows in people's dining tastes.

"It's not like 10 years ago when most Chinese looked forward to the Spring Festival because it meant they would have a good meal. Good meals can be had more often now. What's more important is how to spend the holiday comfortably," said Liu Andi, another customer.

Hangzhou-style restaurants are some of the hottest spots because their prices are much lower than that of Shanghai and Cantonese restaurants.

That's because Hangzhou-style dishes are cooked with regular ingredients while Cantonese cuisine requires rare and expensive ingredients, such as shark's fin and belly.

Most Chinese start off the Lunar New Year with a good meal, believing a good beginning will bode well for the rest of the year.

A fine choice is Club Jinmao, on the 86th floor of the Grand Hyatt Shanghai. It offers exquisite Shanghai dishes.

"Although Shanghai people are keen on trying novel flavours, local courses are still the favourites," said Shen Wei, master chef at the club. "And Shanghai dishes have absorbed many cooking methods from other cuisines, especially Western food."

Steak and fish braised with butter - a favourite among Shanghainese - was adopted from Western cuisine. Since Shanghai has many immigrants, restaurants offering Sichuan and Hunan cuisine also will be crowded. But they are too spicy for the taste buds of most locals.

To make all of these meals entertaining, some hotels will have Chinese lion dancing and traditional Chinese opera shows.

SHENYANG: Tan Xiaojun, a senior military officer with Shenyang Military Command, could not help but feel excited when he talked about the coming Spring Festival.

The 41-year-old Tan has been thinking of making a trip to Southwest China's Yunnan Province with his family during the holiday.

"I have been working far apart from my family for four years and during each of the past Spring Festivals, my wife and son had to come to the camps as I had to stick to my post," said Tan. "But now I have been transferred to work in my home city. What's more, I am able to enjoy the public holiday with my family. The trip could be a celebration of our family reunion," said Tan.

Their selected travel route will extend from the well-known scenic spots in Yunnan such as Dali, Lijiang River and Xi-shuangbanna to Thailand.

"We chose Yunnan because we long to appreciate its refreshing natural landscape, experience the amiable climate as well as to know about the life of ethnic groups," Tan said.

Besides, the route also enables tourists to visit as many as seven places including Thailand at a relatively low price, which costs each member only some 3,000 yuan (US$362), Tan said, quoting the schedule and budget offered by the travel agency.

Two other families will join their group. "More companions mean more fun, and we can help each other," said Tan.

HARBIN: Unlike the throngs of tourists who flock to taste the exotic flavour of the country's southern regions and Southeast Asian countries, some Harbiners in this capital in China's northernmost Heilong-jiang Province have found a good way to combine the festival with tradition.

Huang Haishan and Guo Ying, a newly-married couple in the city, are such an example.

"At first, we also planned to travel abroad, but then we found we should not miss the golden time to appreciate the best winter scenery and ice lanterns in my hometown, which has won fame around the world," said Huang. "In fact, I rarely had a close look at them before because work kept me busy."

He intends to make up for this and might take an adventure in the province's famous Yabuli ski resort.

His elder brother agreed that it is the best way to spend more time with family members. Their last trip to Hong Kong and Thailand during the National Day holiday in October was tightly scheduled. Huang hopes this seven-day holiday will serve as a real relaxation and rest for the strained body and mind.

(China Daily February 11, 2002)