Chinese Lunar New Year Festival Kicks Off, Leaders Visit Disaster-Hit Regions

Spring Festival broadcast ready for air on Lunar New Year Eve
www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-05 17:07:48
BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) --

After three months of preparation, China's annual TV broadcast for Spring Festival Eve is ready to go.
    The event will be broadcast live nationwide and across the world by China Central TV (CCTV) through its two Chinese channels, the English, French and Spanish services and its website at 8 p.m. Beijing time on Wednesday, the eve of the traditional Chinese lunar new year.
    The program, which usually runs about four hours, will have a theme of promoting a harmonious society and unity among the people, CCTV said. It said that the show was also aimed at lifting public morale amid the winter disaster.
    Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), watched the dress rehearsal on Monday evening. He said that he expected the artists and program workers would give the audience a wonderful evening and create a cheerful beginning to the festival season.
    Since the show began in 1983, it has become a tradition for Chinese families to gather around the dinner table and watch together.

Chinese leaders visit disaster-hit regions on holiday eve
www.chinaview.cn 2008-02-07 04:25:39
    BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- In the past five consecutive years, it has been a common sight for China's top leaders to visit ordinary Chinese on Lunar New Year's eve. This year was no exception.
    Amid China's worst weather disaster for decades, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao both spent the most important holiday in disaster-hit regions, directing relief work and greeting people being affected.
    Hu was in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Tuesday and Wednesday. "Lunar New Year's eve" was his favorite topic throughout the trip.
    Shaking hands with road repair workers en route to Ziyuan, a county without electricity and telecommunication service due to severe snow, Hu said he appreciated their work on this special day.
    As he came across an army transportation squad later Wednesday, he asked them to deliver relief supplies to those in need in time for them to have a better holiday.
    At a farmer's house, Hu said to the family: "We were very concerned for you when we were in Beijing."
    He told officials in company that current priorities were to have people's livelihood well arranged.
    Officials should make sure that local people had enough food, clothes and quilts, and when they were sick they would be timely treated, Hu ordered.
    On Wednesday afternoon, Premier Wen hastened to the eastern province of Jiangxi and visited Fuzhou City, which has been in the dark for more than 20 days.
    Learning that electricity was expected to be restored at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Wen said that he felt reassured. He also showed concern about agriculture, urging local farmers to prepare seeds and fertilizer for the spring planting season.
    Then Wen visited Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, where he had Lunar New Year's eve dinner with students who couldn't go home.
    Both leaders seized every chance to boost public morale on this special day, something they had been doing in the past weeks.
    Hu stressed that the public should hold the firm belief of victory over the weather disaster.
    "We lost much in the weather disaster... but we also got many things, such as courage, will and the ability to overcome difficulties. Amid the disaster, relations between officials and the masses strengthened and people became more united," Wen said.
Editor: Mu Xuequan

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