It might not be a traditional Chinese scene, but that's how some Shanghai residents will spend the Chinese New Year's Eve on Friday night.

Others will enjoy the traditional meal, known as nianyefan, at the city's new indoor ski slope, munching on fish and "eight-treasure rice" before carving ribbons through the man-made snow.

And some locals will settle in for a "space meal" atop the 468-meter-high Oriental TV Tower - the perfect setting to watch fireworks explode near the Bund.

Many of the city's entertainment venues are trying to lure people out their homes and away from restaurants by offering the New Year Eve dinner this year.

"What surprised us is that even old people are willing to try new ideas, once they get a little push from their grandchildren," said Bao Peihua, general manager of Yundu Hotspring Bathhouse's Cao Yang outlet.

The bathhouse's 16 round tables and 400 smaller tables were all reserved for the Lunar New Year's Eve weeks before Christmas.

In Chinese tradition, "nianyefan" is more than just a meal: It's a reunion time for the whole family, similar to Christmas in the West. Up until a few years ago, almost every family in the city ate at home or the home of a close relative, while restaurants shut down for the evening.

That trend started to change just a few years ago, and now most families in the city will head out to a restaurant on Friday night to save the trouble of cooking and cleaning themselves. In fact, if you haven't reserved a table yet, you may be out of luck as most of the city's restaurants are already booked solid.

On last New Year's Eve, 6,915 tables were booked at the city's major hotels and restaurants, up 7.3 percent year-on-year from 2001, according to the city's Commercial Commission.

Their sales totaled 7.8 million yuan (US$943,100), a jump of 47.6 percent from the previous year.

The commission expects even better sales this year, estimating about 500,000 tables will be served for the special night.

It's a hugely lucrative market, according to Chen Yuxian, a commercial commission official, noting that restaurants offering dinner for 10 for 1,000 yuan are the most popular.

The most expensive meal in town might be the Hotel InterContinental Pudong Shanghai, which is charging 5,000 yuan for a table.

No wonder entertainment venues are eager to offer New Year's Eve dinner.

"The idea came out naturally, when industry competition became more fierce and we started to develop more services," said the bathhouse's Bao.

Dinner on the ski slopes isn't as popular as nianyefan at the bathhouse.

"We sold out 16 tables, each seating 10 people," said Zhang Xiaoyan of the Shanghai Dashun Hokkaido Skiing Field.

"The traditional meal on New Year's Eve is for family reunions and to enjoy the best meal of the year," said Gao Chao, a commission official. "But now business owners have extended the meal's meaning by adding the elements of entertainment."

He said currently traditional meals still dominate, but in the long run dinners offered by entertainment facilities could be developed.

(eastday.com January 29, 2003)