With the rising living standard in the Chinese mainland, the Chinese will give more money as Lunar New Year gift during the upcoming Spring Festival.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, 5 yuan to 10 yuan could be very decent gifts. However, it requires at least several hundred yuan these days. 2006 and 2007 are considered to be lucky years for marriage, thus gifts in cash might put too heave a pressure upon ordinary Chinese.

According to a survey among college students in Beijing, some 50% of students will each receive a total of 5,000 yuan as gifts in the Spring Festival. 10 percent of them as much as 10,000 yuan. It can be estimated that newlyweds will receive more gift money in 2007.

In Sichuan, the amount of gift money is much bigger. Gone are the days when a 100 yuan gift was considered as a big sum there. "It requires at least 300 to make a wedding gift, " said Wang, who just attended her friend's wedding ceremony.

(CRI February 17, 2007)