Official figures show that, compared with 1999, the overall financial burden on farmers has been cut by more than 100 billion yuan - about 800 million farmers have benefited from the new tax policy.

Spring Festival is a time for family gatherings. People travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to be reunited with their loved ones. The Ministry of Railways announced on Saturday that inthe two weeks leading up to the Spring Festival, 49.39 million people traveled by train, up nearly 5 million over the same periodlast year.

For the telecommunications industry, the week-long holiday means huge profits. More and more people are extending New Year's greetings by telephone or mobile phones. The total amount of text messages sent during the Spring Festival is expected to reach 12 billion.

Some people are beginning to fear that due to increased economic globalization, the traditional Chinese festival is losingits true values and becoming too commercial. Many Chinese teenagers have added western festivals such as Christmas Day and Valentine's Day to their festive list, leaving the older generations nostalgic about Spring Festivals in old days.

The return of firecrackers has even set off a heated public debate on whether it is time to adopt more measures to protect the cultural traditions of the Spring Festival. For now, the majority believe that despite outside influences, the soul of the festival will live on. Enditem