Editor's note: Christmas is not only an occasion to celebrate, but also a great reason to spend money and reward yourself for a hard year's work. As China becomes more open to the world, Christmas is welcomed by both businessmen and customers here. Here are some Christmas activities in China which may make you want to reach for your purse or wallet and have fun.

Thousands of Chinese tourists will spend the Christmas holiday period in the United States this year.

New York City, California, and Hawaii are among the more popular destinations as organizations such as United Airlines, Disneyland Park in California, the California Travel and Tourism Commission and the Hawaii Tourism Authority have begun promoting luxury tours.

As a result, the number of Chinese tourists to the US is set to pass the 1 million mark by the end of this year, the National Tourism Administration of China said. And the 2 million mark is likely to be passed in 2015, the State agency said. [Full story]

Top 10 Yuletide hotspots

Christmas has become a global festival, regardless of religion or location. Lonely Planet's "1000 Ultimate Experiences" lists the best places in the world to experience the yuletide spirit. [Full story]

It's jingle tills at Beijing's hotels

Christmas trees decorated with stars and presents, seasonal songs and fancy dinners on Christmas Eve are not considered enough to attract local customers to Chinese hotels.

This year, performances will include comedians and celebrity magicians in a move that is heating up the already fierce competition in the sector during the Western festive period.

Beijing Landmark Towers' celebrity list includes top comedian Xiao Shenyang from Zhao Benshan Media Group.

The Tangla hotel on the west of Chang'an Avenue has invited Liu Qian, the famous magician from Taiwan, to host its show on Christmas Eve.

In Shanghai, the Hilton hotel is offering delights such as the French Can-Can by professional dancers, magic performances and Italian opera.

An iPad is the top prize for guests on Christmas Eve at theMercure Beijing Hotel. [Full story]

You can also treat yourself with ...

A Christmas holliday on sunny beach	A pillow fight on Christmas eve	A Christmas spa
Exciting X-Games	A light decorated home	Come and ski in Bird's Nest!

   

 

Buying gifts

Consumers splash out on buying gifts

With the approach of Christmas and the New Year, the festive atmosphere has brought shoppers out in droves.

Seasonal promotions have also been rolled out. At the Grand Pacific department store in west Beijing, discounts are on offer and the store has hired makeup artists to give a finished look to customers who spend more than 300 yuan at the store.

The retail volume is expected to increase 20 percent over the Christmas period this year over last year, he said. [Full story]

 

 

Imported foods gain favor with Chinese buyers

Ourtasty.com, the largest shopping website for imported food in China, has seen a 30 percent increase in orders since early December.

Grace Guo, chief operating officer with the Shanghai-based company, said Belgium chocolates and French wines are its top sellers over Christmas.

The company is not only eyeing the booming Christmas market, but also the huge demand for imported food in China. [Full story]

Shopping online

Strict rules no obstacle to daigou industry

Despite China's recent efforts to prop up its domestic market and to crack down on the smuggling of foreign goods, the popular business known as daigou is booming as Christmas is around the corner.

Daigou is a mostly Internet-based business in which companies act as shopping agents for Chinese people who want goods unattainable in China. [Full story]

Jingle Bell, Santa Claus is 'on the net'

More Chinese consumers have turned to the internet for Christmas gifts and decorations this year.

Statistics from e-commerce companies show that on-line sales growth for the holiday season is much stronger than the year before, even though prices of Christmas gifts are generally higher. [Full story]

Xmas is Chinese Valentine's Day Boys and men, you will be much better served if you think of Christmas in China as Valentine's Day. A dumpling dinner - even at a joint that serves up "five amazing flavors" - is a classic example of what not to do with your girlfriend during "Chinese Christmas". Without the religious or cultural traditions to back up the festive occasion, Christmas has grown into a major commercial production in big cities over the last decade. It is now an occasion when ladies expect their men to make a big fuss, much like a Western anniversary night requires a candle-lit diner deux. [Full story]

Holiday boyfriend put up for auction If you were looking for something a bit different this Christmas, you could have placed a bid on renting a boyfriend for the holiday, with an iPad thrown in for the successful bidder. An advertisement placing a Christmas boyfriend up for auction was posted on Dec 12 on Taobao.com, China's largest online marketplace, and proved to be a success with netizens, who were willing to spend 5,450 yuan ($820) on having a go. [Full story]

Romance and shopping on itinerary After putting a lot of thought into where to propose marriage to his girlfriend, 26-year-old Wu Ningsha from Changsha, Hunan province, finally decided to pop the question over a Christmas trip to Hong Kong. "It would be a big surprise to put the diamond ring on her finger on silent night," said Wu, who anticipates that the city's glittering Christmas decorations will add further romance to the occasion. This year, Christmas Day falls on Saturday, which will enable more inland Chinese residents, such as Wu, to take a trip over the weekend. [Full story]

But...

New customs limit fails to dampen shopping tourism

The outbound tourism sector in Guangdong province is enjoying a busy winter season but tourists may have to shorten their shopping lists due to tougher customs regulations.

Although the Christmas-New Year shopping bargains available in overseas destinations are still attracting Chinese tourists, holidaymakers will have to adjust to tighter limits imposed by customs this year. [Full story]

Louis Vuitton aims to sell less ahead of Christmas

French luxury leather goods maker Louis Vuitton is closing its Parisian stores an hour early to preserve stocks ahead of the Christmas rush, shop assistants said on Tuesday.

The shops, which are hot spots for tourists, are particularly popular among Japanese, Chinese and Russian buyers and make up a significant portion of the French brand's total western European revenue.[Full story]

Christmas Cake

Wu Ying is determined to have a fancy Christmas in the southern city of Shenzhen this year, including a home-baked Christmas cake with ingredients imported from the United States.

It has been a year since Wu graduated from Purdue University, so she plans to reinforce her memory about the "cheerful and romantic" time by baking a genuine American cake.

Wu, 25, is not the only person eager to pursue a Western lifestyle - or rather, food - in China. [Full story]

A Festive fare for two

Although turkey is the bird of choice nowadays, traditionally Christmas meant a plump, succulent goose. A goose may seem like too much for two people, but with leftovers next day and the bones turned into a good consomme - believe me it will easily disappear.

Instead of the traditional dinner; soup, roasted bird and all the trimmings followed by Xmas Pudding with Brandy Butter, here is an easier menu: Caviar Creme, Roast Goose, Water Chestnuts & Snow Peas, Wild Rice & Long Grain Rice, Effortless Trifle.[Full story]

Feast on the beach

Play with seashells by the seashore this winter in Ninghai while gorging on lobster (longxia), eel (manyu), oyster (muli) and crab (pangxie). Most restaurants have an aquarium allowing you to meet your dinner before you eat it, or rather, before you drown glasses of rice wine while searching for buried flesh inside a crab. A quick stopover in Ningbo city is recommended if only to visit one of its exquisitely decorated churches.[Full story]

Let the Bullets Fly Director:Jiang Wen Click for trailer The man Time magazine calls the nation's boldest director has made only four films in 17 years, but each is a carefully crafted work marking a milestone in Chinese cinema.   This fiilm will remind many of Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds but has a bit of everything: black humor, slapstick comedy, politics, and gangsterism. This heady mixture has never been seen in mainland cinema.[Full story]

	If You are the One 2 ← Director: Feng Xiaogang Click for trailer The film is a sequel to the romantic comedy with the same title screened last year. Famous funnyman Feng Xiaogang shows his dark side in his upcoming comedy.[Full story]
	Sacrifice → Director: Chen Kaige Click for trailer The film tells a story that goes back more than 2,000 years, about a humble doctor who sacrifices his own baby to protect an orphan from a clan of noblemen slaughtered by its rival. [Full story]

 

 

Little Christmas cheer for factories

Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year", sings crooner Andy Williams in his 1963 hit. Many Chinese manufacturers used to agree - not any more.

After a year of coping with labor shortages, price hikes for raw materials and an appreciation of the renminbi, many companies that make yuletide products are now considering pulling out of the industry.

Almost 60 percent of the world's Christmas products come from China. Yet, while toymakers record healthy profits, factories producing decorations and ornaments say they are struggling.[Full story]

A foreign buyer looks at Christmas decorations at the 108th Canton Trade Fair in Guangzhou. During the first 11 months through November, China's foreign trade surged 36.3 percent year-on-year to $2.68 trillion, but the trade surplus was down by 3.9 percent to $170 billion. [Photo / Bloomberg]

Festival helps light up businessman's profits

While Christmas was still like a fairy tale to most people in China in the early 1990s, Gong Yuequan, then in his mid-30s, saw it differently.

To him, the festive season provided an opportunity for business, and he became the first person to sell Christmas decorations in his hometown of Yiwu, a small coastal city in East China's Zhejiang province.

"This festival was seldom celebrated or even heard of in Yiwu," he said.

"But as my parents have had a Christmas-decoration business in Shenzhen for years, it struck me that it might be a good idea to start my own business here." [Full story]

 More stories:

 China expects exports to slow in 2011
 Increases in Christmas orders bring little joy
 Chinese exports to US hit the skids

Traffic jam on Christmas Eve   Friday's rush hour in Beijing is likely to begin a lot earlier than usual as people slip out of work because of Christmas Eve and join the regular end-of-the-week exodus. The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau issued a warning to that effect, saying the rush is likely to begin at around 4 pm. The bureau said the city's busy leisure areas, such as Houhai, the Xidan shopping area and the Solana lifestyle shopping park, are likely to be among the busiest for traffic on Christmas Eve. Evening shows slated for Happy Valley on Christmas Eve and abundant concerts and performances throughout the city will also mean the congestion could continue until late into the night. [Full story]

Delayed Parcles A white Christmas is marked not only by snowmen, but also late gifts, according to shipping service customers in China and Europe. Several flights between Shanghai and destinations in Europe have been canceled or delayed due to heavy snowfalls and air traffic has yet to return to normal. To ship a parcel from Glasgow to Shanghai usually takes about three days, but this year it may take more than 10 days, Li said. Packages from Shanghai to Frankfurt and Rotterdam have also been delayed due to bad weather, the Oriental Morning Post reported. [Full story]

Rising CPI  China's consumer price index (CPI), a major gauge of inflation, rose to a 28-month high of 5.1 percent in November, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. The growth rate picked up from 4.4 percent in October, according to the NBS. The inflation was driven by a 11.7 percent of surge in food prices, which accounts for one third of the basket of goods used to calculate China's CPI. The year-on-year increase in food prices grew from rises of 10.1 percent in October, 8 percent in September and 7.5 percent in August.[Full story]