Lunar New Year gift giving in the Internet era

ONLINE SHOPPING

Traditionally, Chinese stock up on holiday essentials in the weeks leading up to Spring Festival, as most businesses will close for at least the first two or three days of the week-long holiday.

In recent years, in e-commerce crazy China, people have shifted from shopping at street fairs to buying from online retailers.

Young people, especially, favor online Spring Festival shopping for its efficiency and convenience.

Meanwhile, certain officials can use this online trend to their advantage -- to send their superiors discreet gifts, away from prying eyes.

Gift cards can be exchanged for money through scalpels and, in recent years, these cards have been the focus of the austerity campaign.

Experts, however, have called for rules to be established to regulate online cash flow and other irregularities.