A Survey by the Shenzhen Daily has shown that about 70 percent of the city's expatriates will stay in the city for Christmas as more regard the city as their second home.

The survey was carried out by Daily reporters through questionnaires, phone calls and face-to-face interviews with more than 300 expatriate readers, teachers and businessmen. Last year more than half of the expats were reported to have left the city for family reunions or holidays.

An engineer with CACT, an oil firm, said 40 percent of their expat staff would travel this Christmas, about 20 percent fewer than last year.

Most expatriate teachers will stay on and many will spend time with their Chinese students. The four English teachers with Luohu Foreign Languages School will all stay, according to a teacher surnamed Zhou.

"It is a pity that Christmas is not a holiday here and we have to work," said Anthony Bowers, a teacher with a language institute. "But it is good that we will have the Spring Festival instead."

The management office of Jingshan Villas, home to more than 200 expatriate households, said about 40 percent would stay, up 10 percent over last year. Some have put up Christmas decorations for visiting family members.

"It's our second year here and we'd like to experience a new Christmas," said Lennart Degerhult, whose daughter arrived from Sweden on Friday.

Savvy Chinese businessmen are becoming more aware of the important Western festival. Major theme parks, star-level hotels, restaurants and bars have scheduled a variety of activities and promotions to attract both Chinese and foreign patrons.

The shopping carnival sponsored by the government and major retailers will also start from Wednesday, Christmas Eve, and end Jan. 3.

(Shenzhen Daily December 23, 2003)