Spring Festival Presents Get Cultural Touch

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, February 01, 2003

Spring Festival Presents Get Cultural Touch

People in China's rural areas are more likely to receive a book or VCD as a gift this Spring Festival, rather than the traditional bag of confectionery.

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People in China's rural areas are more likely to receive a book or VCD as a gift this Spring Festival, rather than the traditional bag of confectionery.

Gift hunters in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi province, this year are looking for presents that are food for the mind, rather than food for the body.

Newly-printed books and compact discs are top of the list and popular among buyers who work in Taiyuan away from their rural homes.

The Erya bookstore, located on Shuangta West Road, had receivedtwice the number of customers than usual since January 18, said the owner.

"In the past, we took bags of local snacks home to please both the old folk and the children, but now they are available everywhere. Books are more valued by the recipient, since there are so few bookstores in rural areas," said a lady waiting at the check out.

"Among my books," she said, "are Green Fairy Tales for my baby niece, How to Win in the WTO Era for my brother, a graduate, Health Care of the Middle-Aged and Elderly for my parents and somescientific books for my friends."

The disc section of the bookstore is also crowded with people busy browsing for gifts.

"I'll buy a set of 'Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty' VCDs for my father who is retired," one youth said. "That's the best way to show my filial piety, in my view."

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