In this episode of Spring Festival Social Observations, we peel back the layers of China's most significant holiday to examine the unspoken scripts, performed roles, and quiet emotional labor that make the reunion work. Beneath the surface of festive meals and cheerful greetings lies a complex social theater where everyone plays a part—often feeling both connected and strangely alone.
#馬年審馬積累 馬年將至，新春送禮還没頭緒？ “崢”會買系列上線！ 跟著@開箱中國UnboxingChina 的聞崢（Nancy），一起開箱那些藏著中式巧思的馬年主題好物！這些各式各樣的“馬”中，有獨特的中式幽默感： “拍馬屁”鑰匙鏈詼諧可愛，齊白石筆下的馬化身成可以“換發型”的抽象擺件；有中英雙語“諧音梗”：、“翼（一）馬當先”、“Horse花生”，每一份都是祝福；有跨時空的審美積累：東漢銅奔馬、西魏翼馬壁畫、唐三彩馬的驚豔，化身成可愛實用的文創；還有磁吸春聯、DIY拓印紅包，傳統也有了新形態……這些馬年好物，你最想留下它贈予摯友，還是悄悄收入囊中？快來和《#開箱中國 》分享你的心動選擇！#購在中國好物推薦 #馬年創意禮物測評
Some of China's largest technology companies have spent tens of billions of yuan this year to push artificial intelligence initiatives for the upcoming Spring Festival, marking their most significant effort yet to take AI applications out of labs and into the daily lives of a nation of more than 1.4 billion consumers. 今年，中國一些大型科技公司已投入數百億元，在即將到來的春節期間推廣人工智能應用。這是他們迄今為止最大的一次努力，旨在將AI應用帶出實驗室，融入超14億消費者的日常生活。 The move could potentially give China an early lead in large-scale consumer AI adoption, which may be difficult for its rivals in the United States to replicate, industry experts said. 業內專家表示，此舉可能讓中國在大規模消費者AI應用上率先一步，美國競爭對手或難以效仿。 At the center of this effort is Alibaba's Qwen app, which announced a 3 billion yuan ($420 million) holiday campaign starting on Friday. The campaign offers users free food, retail and services, but only if they make purchases through the app...
China is expected to put boosting domestic demand — especially spurring consumption — at the core of its economic agenda this year, with policymakers likely to roll out stronger fiscal support and structural reforms to further unlock the potential of household spending, a senior expert said. 資深專家表示，今年我國將把擴大內需尤其是激發消費潛力置於經濟工作核心位置，預計決策層將推出更有力的財政支持政策和結構性改革舉措，進一步釋放家庭消費潛能。 Wang Wei, senior researcher and former director of the Institute of Market Economy at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that to ensure stable economic growth during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, China needs to achieve a notable increase in final consumption as a share of GDP. 國務院發展研究中心市場經濟研究所原所長、二級研究員王微表示，為確保"十五五"時期（2026-2030年）經濟穩定增長，我國需要顯著提升最終消費占GDP比重。 "That means China's future economic growth will need to rely more on domestic demand — part...
Beijing urged Tokyo on Monday to adhere to peaceful development and follow the four political documents between China and Japan, which serve as the political foundation of bilateral relations. 週一，中方敦促日方堅持和平發展，恪守作為中日雙邊關系政治基礎的中日四個政治文件。 Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular news briefing after media reports said that Japan's ruling coalition had won a supermajority in a parliamentary election on Sunday. 外交部發言人林劍在例行記者會上作出上述表態。此前有媒體報道稱，日本執政聯盟在週日的國會選舉中贏得超三分之二的絕對多數席位。 Though the election was an internal affair of Japan, it "indicated some deep-rooted issues and trends" that are "worthy of profound reflection", Lin said. 林劍表示，選舉雖是日本的國內事務，但本次選舉反映一些深層次的結構性問題，以及思潮動向、趨勢，值得日本各界有識之士和國際社會深思。 "We urge Japan's ruling authorities to face, rather than ignore, the concerns of the international community, to follo...
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), conveyed the greetings while attending a gala held by the CMC for retired military officers of Beijing-based troops on Friday. Greeted with warm applause, Xi chatted with the veterans, inquiring about their health and living conditions. Together, they reviewed the extraordinary journey of the Party, the country and the military over the past year. The veterans vowed to rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and act on Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military. They pledged to gain a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and of establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They also vowed to conscio...
Hong Kong's High Court sentenced former media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison on Monday, following his conviction under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region National Security Law. 2月9日，香港特區高等法院依據《中華人民共和國香港特别行政區維護國家安全法》，對前傳媒大亨黎智英作出判決，判處其入獄20年。 The three national security judges—Esther Toh Lye-ping, D'Almada Remedios, and Alex Lee Wan-tang—handed down the sentence after Lai was found guilty in December on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. 本案由杜麗冰、李素蘭、李運騰三名國安法指定法官審理，黎智英已於去年12月被裁定兩項串謀勾結外國勢力罪、一項串謀發布煽動刊物罪名成立，三名法官隨后當庭作出上述量刑。 "It is the legislative intent that …the engagement of a foreign entity in endangering national security is generally to be regarded as an offence of a more serious nature which has to be met with a more severe penalty," the court...
It's not quite the miantiao, or noodles, back home, but Chinese speed skater Ning Zhongyan is more than happy to dig into a generous helping of pasta pomodoro with a side of rocket salad tossed in balsamic dressing at the Olympic Village in Milan, proving that when in Italy, he is all for doing things the Italian way, at least in the dining hall. 雖然遠不如家鄉的面條，但中國速度滑冰運動員寧忠岩在米蘭奧運村的餐廳里享用著一大盤番茄意面，配上點芝麻菜沙拉，澆上些香醋沙拉汁，證明到了意大利他也會跟著意式節奏來，至少餐廳里如此。 For the nearly 1,600 athletes participating in the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, settling into the Games Village that has been built over a former rail yard in Milan's southern suburbs, embracing the host's warm hospitality, and blending in with the multicultural crowd at the village, while adding their own cultural vibes, is proving to be the perfect combination for a complete Olympic experience. 對於參加2026米蘭-科爾蒂納冬奧會的近1600名運動員來說，在位於米...