If you have never spent a Lunar New Year's Eve in Shanghai, you should prepare for long line-ups at the grocery stores today, not to mention shops and fast-food outlets closing early, and a fireworks show tonight that will sound like the start of World War III.
The weather should be nice for today's festivities, with an expected high of 11 degrees Celsius and some clouds, but probably not enough to dampen the light show that will burst over the city beginning around 11:30 p.m., as locals scare away "ghosts" and welcome happiness and fortune in the Year of Horse in an explosive manner.
While fireworks are officially banned within the Outer Ring Road and Lujiazui in Pudong, don't expect too many people to pay attention to the ban, and don't expect to get any sleep before the wee hours of the morning. You should also be ready for an early wake-up call, as many locals love to light off another round of explosives early - sometimes very early - on the first day of the new year.
The fireworks will continue on a smaller scale throughout the week, with another large display on the fifth day of the new year, Saturday night, as an offering to the "God of Fortune."
Here are a few helpful tips to enjoying the Spring Festival in Shanghai:
Shopping
This week is a great time for bargain hunting, as local retailers will offer up to 90 percent discounts to clear out their winter inventory.
Most of the local retailers will shorten their business hours during the holiday, usually closing their doors before 6:00 p.m., and resuming normal hours on Thursday.
Supermarkets will be packed this week, especially today, so expect to spend a few extra minutes in line at the cash register. Stores are generally a little less crowded early in the morning and at dinner time.
As Valentine's Day falls on Thursday, many local jewelry stores are offering big discounts or vouchers to attract romantics.
Entertainment
The best show of the week is tonight's fireworks display, so find a nice elevated view downtown and enjoy. Unless you like traffic jams and crowded sidewalks, you best avoid the Bund, where a light display is likely to attract large crowds.
The Imperial Porcelain Exhibition and the Rolls-Royce Auto Show are staged at Citic Square from February 8 to February 17.
Film fans might enjoy China's first digital cinema located at the Grand Gateway.
A live talk show will take place at Plaza 66 on Nanjing Road on Valentine's Day.
CCTV's annual Spring Festival celebration show, a key part of the holiday for most locals, will start at 4 p.m., four hours earlier than previous years. The show attracts more than a billion viewers every year, including Chinese living overseas.
Services
Getting a taxi will prove difficult this evening and tomorrow morning, so leave the house a little early and prepare for a wait.
Most banks will stay open during the holiday, but some smaller branches will shorten their hours or close for a few days. The Bank of China will halt individual foreign currency exchange from tomorrow to Thursday.
Local hospitals will close their out-patient departments from tomorrow to Thursday, but emergency rooms will remain open.
Local post offices will remain open during the holiday, with no changes to their business hours.
Food
Most of the city's big-name Chinese restaurants are already booked up for the early sitting at 5:30 p.m. tonight, but many still have tables for a later sitting that starts around 7:30.
Many Western restau-rants like La Maison and M on the Bund will be open, serving Western food.
(Fast-food outlets, such as KFC, McDonald's and various pizza outlets will probably close their doors early so employees can spend the night with their families.
Greetings
Even if you don't speak much Chinese, you can still offer locals a New Year's greeting in Mandarin. Traditional greetings include:
Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year).
Ma Nian Kuai Le (Happy Year of Horse).
Gong Xi Fa Cai (Wish you fortune in the new year).
Ma Dao Cheng Gong (May the arrival of the horse bring you success).
( eastday.com February 11, 2002)
