SHANGHAI - Residents in this eastern metropolis put higher value on Chinese traditional festivals, amid a rising popularity in Western ones like Christmas and Valentine's Day, a recent survey has found.

The two-year survey was jointly conducted by the Shanghai Spiritual Civilization Construction Committee and Shanghai Folk Culture Association with other institutions.

In the poll, Shanghai residents were asked to select five of their favorite festivals from 15 Chinese and foreign festivals and give their reasons for the choices. Chinese festivals were ranked as the top five, with Spring Festival topping the list, results from the survey showed.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was ranked second, with the Lantern, Dragon Boat, and New Year's Day festivals ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Christmas Day, which is popular among many young Chinese people, ranked sixth, followed by the Chinese Tomb-sweeping Day, the poll showed. Respondents ranked Valentine's Day eighth, higher than the Chinese Double Ninth Festival. The Chinese Valentine's Day, or Double Seventh Festival, came in at 13th place.

National and cultural identities lead to a divergence in attitudes toward Chinese and foreign festivals, the survey showed.

When asked why they preferred Chinese traditional festivals, 56.6 percent of the respondents said it was because they were Chinese and 39.4 percent said the festival can help with the understanding of Chinese culture.

Those polled said foreign, Western festivals provided romance and relaxed holiday atmospheres. Less than 10 percent of those polled said they were really interested in Western festivals for the customs and culture behind them.

The popularity of Chinese festivals also declined for younger people while that of foreign festivals grew among the young, the poll showed.

The five most favorite festivals for people aged under 18 were Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. But for respondents aged above 65, the Spring, Mid-Autumn, Lantern and Dragon Boat festivals as well as Tomb-sweeping Day were ranked high.

Ways of celebrating festivals have also changed, the poll showed, with "dining together with family or friends" the first choice for most respondents of the survey.

"It seems that the original, cultural essence behind the many Chinese traditional festivals are being forgotten or even ignored," said 48-year-old Shanghai resident Li Zhenming.

"In the past, on the Double Ninth Festival, people often climbed hills or mountains. But now it's rare to find someone doing that," Li said.

"Most people spend their holiday with various dinner parties among family or friends," Li said.

"People, especially the young, lack deep understanding of Chinese customs and culture."

China Daily

(China Daily 06/17/2010 page2)