While almost all Chinese people were busy with their Spring Festival activities, foreigners that work or reside in China might just want to take this opportunity to have a trip back home, to travel somewhere, or just have a good sleep at their house. It seems that Chinese Spring Festival might only appeal to those who come to China only recently and are interested in Chinese folk arts. Many foreigners admit that Spring Festival, a most important traditional festival to Chinese just like Christmas to westerners, is merely a long holiday for foreigners.

A staff member in charge of the management and service affairs of foreign investment said that almost all senior managers in foreign-invested companies chose either to go back home or visit some place during the Spring Festival period. Few of them would spend the holiday with grand celebrations like Chinese people did.

Roberto Casini, chief representative of the Italian-based Iveco Fiat Representative Office in China, explained that to most foreigners, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day were the two most important festivals. Like the Chinese people, most westerners would spend the holidays by eating a lot and buying a lot of holiday stuff. Westerners would also take this time to wrap up their past year and look ahead for the future. However, during the Chinese Spring Festival season, westerners worked in their countries as usual and foreigners in China would take this opportunity to have a good rest.

He said that as most westerners paid great attention to Christmas Day and the New Year’s Day, they would try to avoid working on holidays. In China, when Spring Festival arrived, it was very difficult to persuade Chinese people to work on this big occasion. Therefore, Spring Festival was a good time for him to take a vacation.

However, to many foreigners who just come to China and are curious about Chinese traditions, Spring Festival offers them a good chance to understand something about China. During this time, many traditional folk arts will be performed on stage. Local operas, which are distinctive for their rustic charm and performed in rural areas, attract foreigners most. During the Spring Festival season, foreigners can take the time to experience a Chinese New year. And when Chinese people are celebrating the Spring Festival, it also becomes a holiday for foreigners to rest and appreciate Chinese culture.

(Chinanews.cn, China.org.cn, February 6, 2006)