The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important festival for the Chinese. It's a time when families get together to eat, drink and be merry, among other things like spending lots of money, according to a survey results from the Social Survey Institution of China (SSIC) released on Monday.
According to Wang Xing, poll center director of SSIC, the survey was conducted in more than 10 cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Shenyang, Harbin and Shijiazhuang. A total of 2,000 respondents participated through telephone interviews or questionnaires.
A time for travel
Because Spring Festival is still the most important festival in the year for most people, it is usually a time for a holiday. About 40% of respondents said they would visit friends and relatives; 34% said that they will stay at home; 16% have travel plans; 4% will work during the holiday; 3% will read, and 3% responded "Others".
The seven days of public holidays during this time also spell boom time for the tourism industry. According to the survey, for those planning to travel, 51% of them will choose group tours and 49% will choose independent travel. Many will travel within China. Of those who would travel out of the mainland, Hong Kong was the top choice.
