Home>News Center>China
       
 

Festive text messages become new tradition
By Liu Baijia (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-05 06:11

In an example of new technology blending with old traditions, sending seasonal text message greetings has become essential for many Chinese people.

Xie Yi, 25, sent more than 50 Happy New Year messages to his relatives and friends on the evening of December 31.

Now, he has turned his attention to finding suitable words for his Spring Festival salutations, even though it isn't until January 29.

Festive text messages become new tradition
A girl composes short messages on her mobile phone in Shanghai in this file photo. [newsphoto]
"I have to find some really creative messages for Spring Festival, and then I will become a big star and my messages will be passed around my friends," he said.

Mobile phone users in Shanghai sent over 180 million mobile messages between December 31 and January 1.

In Beijing, people sent more than 150 million texts in the two days, generating about 15 million yuan (US$1.86 million).

Zhao Yi, a spokesman for the world's largest mobile operator China Mobile, said the growth of the number of mobile messages is usually much higher during Spring Festival than during New Year's Day or Christmas.

He added that the contribution of the seasonal messages to his company is not very significant, but for other telecoms operators it is.

During last year's Spring Festival, Chinese people sent 11 billion messages during the seven-day vacation.

In the first 11 months of this year, as many as 274 billion messages were sent, 40 per cent higher than the same period in 2004.

Yu Zhangkun, an analyst with Beijing-based consulting firm Byna, said sending messages has become a custom for Chinese during festivals.

"After three to four years of development, sending greeting messages has melted into the blood of the people," he said.

(China Daily 01/05/2006 page2)



Fire kills 5 in Northeast China
Aerobatics show in Hunan
Final rehearsal
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  EU likely to impose tax on imports of Chinese shoes
   
  Bankers confident about future growth
   
  Curtain to be raised on Year of Russia
   
  Coal output set to reach record high of 2.5b tons
   
  WTO: China should reconsider currency plan
   
  China: Military buildup 'transparent'
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement