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China sees robust consumption during Spring Festival holiday

Updated: Feb 22,2018 10:04 AM     Xinhua

People buy cold noodles, a typical food of Xi’an, at a Spring Festival Fair in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province, Feb 19, 2018. Fairs were held at main scenic spots in Xi’an city to celebrate Spring Festival. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING — Shops and restaurants across China reported robust sales during the weeklong Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) showed on Feb 21.

Sales in the retail and catering sectors reached 926 billion yuan ($146 billion) during the week, up 10.2 percent from last year’s holiday, the MOC said in a statement.

People visit a temple fair in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China’s Hebei province, Feb 18, 2018, the fourth day of the Spring Festival holiday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Sales of traditional festival-related goods, green food, jewelry, apparel, household appliances and digital products maintained rapid growth.

Major green food producers in Jiangxi, Qinghai and Shandong provinces saw double-digit sales growth, while major jewelry stores in Shaanxi and Guizhou provinces reported sales increases of 43 percent and 30.6 percent, respectively, compared with last year’s holiday.

People visit a temple fair at Ditan Park in Beijing, capital of China, Feb 16, 2018, the second day of the Spring Festival holiday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Dog-themed accessories were most favored by consumers as this year is the Year of Dog in the 12-animal Chinese zodiac.

In the catering market, family dinners on the Lunar New Year’s Eve were almost fully booked at some famous restaurants, while it became a fashion for restaurants to work with online platforms to offer delivered dinners or home cooking services.

Folk artists perform dragon dance in Xuan’en county, central China’s Hubei province, Feb 19, 2018, the fifth day of the Spring Festival holiday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Consumption in culture and entertainment was also strong, with China’s box office raking in 4.6 billion yuan from Feb 16, when the Lunar New Year arrived, to Feb 20, up nearly 60 percent from a year earlier.

People watch flowers at a flower stall at a Spring Festival Fair in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province, Feb 19, 2018. Fairs were held at main scenic spots in Xi’an city to celebrate Spring Festival. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Chinese Lunar New Year is traditionally a time for family gatherings in China. This year’s holiday runs from Feb 15 to Feb 21.