Poliana Grimlatt of France was one of the many people who dressed as Santa Claus to hand out gifts to joyful visitors flocking to the Happy Valley theme park at dusk Wednesday.

Later, he sang Christmas carols with other Santas in the Christmas tradition. The Santas from 10 countries were invited by the Shenzhen Daily and the theme park.

Unlike the festival in the Western countries where people are reunited with their families, it is a relatively new festival for Shenzhen people.

It is also a great opportunity for businessmen to cash in as they do during other major festivals such as the Spring Festival. The city's first shopping carnival started on Christmas Eve at Happy Valley, drawing tens of thousands of people to the park.

"It is a special and exciting Christmas away from home," said Grimblatt. "I'm so impressed by the enthusiasm of the park visitors."

The major Western festival has become an opportunity for schools to promote English learning.

Students at Luohu Foreign Languages Schools and Shenzhen Foreign Languages Schools performed English dramas, sang English songs and had Christmas parties with their expatriate teachers during Christmas week.

"I was so busy the whole of last week helping my students prepare for the Christmas party," said a foreigner teacher with a kindergarten in Nanshan.

A Christmas party was again organized at Sea World for the foreign community in Shekou. This year a fireworks display was included.

At Shenzhen Grand Theatre, the classical ballet Swan Lake performed by the Russian National Ballet was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

(Shenzhen Daily December 25, 2003)