Chinese, who believe they are descendants of dragons, are greeting the arrival of the last "Year of the Dragon" in the 20th century.

This particular year is considered by many to be the most

auspicious in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, and it

coincides with the new millennium on the Gregorian calendar.

Little did the ancient people in China know that at the end of

their 20th century, a sizable slice of the new generation would

celebrate the holiday surfing the Internet or vacationing in warm

vacation climes abroad.

Tradition-minded Chinese may be pleased to hear the outcome of

a recent telephone survey, which shows that nearly 90 percent of

the people polled in six large Chinese cities prefer to celebrate

Spring Festival with their families -- the way it's been done for

centuries.

Data collected from the Social Survey Institute of China in six

cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in the south,

shows that 72.6 percent of families questioned preferred to gather

all family members together for this special lunar new year. The

figure is up more than one percent over last year.

"Modernization over the past century has changed many

traditions about the traditional Chinese Spring Festival," said

Wang Zhiyuan, a noted scholar with the Academy of Social Sciences,

"but deep in their heart, people are very reluctant to abandon the

old customs."

The Chinese capital of Beijing has enthusiastically displayed

its traditional face: a spate of round red lanterns and designs of

dragons are hanging above and around city streets, in centuries-

old Hutongs, or back alleys, and in front of modern buildings.

Echoing the holiday spirit of the Chinese, many foreign

business people have also placed huge dragon figures outside the

shopping malls they financed.

The traditional paper-cut designs are fashionable once again in

northwest China's Xi'an city, which was the imperial capital of

12 dynasties for 1,100-odd years in Chinese history.

Side-by-side vendors' stands display various paper-cuts of

flowers, trees, animals, and baby silhouettes, which are believed

to bring fortune, and this year's favorite dragon designs. A folk

dance done with dragon lanterns is the rage on the streets.

Newspapers, not to miss out on the story opportunities provided

by a Dragon Year, have devoted pages to reminding Chinese of their

5,000-year history of civilization. Articles have been carried

detailing the relationship between the dragon and Chinese culture.

Photos of ancient dragon totems have been published.

Dragon, an imaginary symbol created by ancient Chinese, is

believed to be an animal that can summon wind and rain, and fly in

heaven. The dragon has been worshipped throughout history as a

divine incarnation and a symbol of the country's fortune.

China was war-torn when the 20th century's first year of dragon

came in 1904. Afterward, the Revolution of 1911, led by Dr. Sun

Yat-sen, overthrew the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and put an end to

the imperial monarch that had raged for many centuries in China.

With this revolution, the imperial emperors were thus deprived of

their imperial robes with embroidered dragon designs, a symbol of

infinite power.

To many Chinese, the most unforgettable dragon year was 1976,

when late Chinese leader Mao Zedong and other founders of New

China passed away one after another. And a devastating earthquake

measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale jolted the city of Tangshan in

north China's Hubei Province and left 240,000 people dead.

Over the past three years, the people in China have experienced

many events, including the return of Hong Kong and Macao, flood

scourges, the NATO-led bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslav

Federation, and the 50th founding anniversary of the People's

Republic of China.

When the Chinese people are embracing the year of dragon

starting from February 5, they are approaching the resolution of

the Taiwan issue, and a crucial year for China's entry into the

World Trade Organization (WTO). The reunification of the

motherland and national rejuvenation are again the most important

topics welcoming the new millennium.

Whatever happens in the new year, people are convinced that it

will be the most joyful, prosperous and busiest year of the dragon.

Netizens and the media, for the first time, have been busy

producing best-of-the-century lists of Chinese thinkers,

inventions, architecture, books, and musical compositions.

Airplanes, trains, and motor vehicles which were oddities early

this century will transport as many as 1.61 billion passengers in

China during the Spring Festival this year.

Never before have so many Chinese been free to travel, make

money, spend money, and reunite with their families instead of

fleeing away from wars and famines as they had done in the past

history.

And in these leisure hours between feasting on holiday goodies,

it's a good bet that most of China's 300 million-plus TV sets will

be switched on. Chinese people have never had so many channels to

choose from, and special New Year's programs will be aired across

the country from China Central Television (CCTV) and various local

TV stations via satellite.

Other forms of recreations will be popular at this Spring

Festival parties, particularly short plays that take jabs at

corruption.

"This is a very good time to reflect on the past and place our

hopes on the future of China," said writer Liang Xiaosheng. "The

huge dragon is soaring."

(xinhua)