Winton Dong dht0620@126.com CHINESE governments at various levels have recommended people stay put and avoid non-essential travels during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. This year’s Spring Festival holiday lasts from Feb. 11 to 17. The festival is regarded as the most important traditional Chinese rite when people return to their hometowns to reunite with their families. Staying put and reducing travels does not necessarily mean that Chinese people should have a boring festival. On the contrary, we must try our best to have a holiday with safety, diversity, care and a family atmosphere. Safety is the top priority, especially in winter season, since some confirmed and asymptomatic cases have been reported in Chinese provinces and cities. Considering the present situation, people are advised not to travel and instead celebrate the festival where they work, live or study, particularly in places with high risk. According to government recommendations, civil servants and State-owned enterprise employees should take the lead to stay, while more migrant workers and students should be persuaded to stay as well. Frankly speaking, after a year’s efforts in containing the spread of the virus, Chinese people have become accustomed to a life with prevention and control measures. However, measures such as wearing masks, showing health codes and having temperature checked should also be strictly applied during the holiday. In addition to the Spring Festival itself, governments at various levels should also pay special attention to the safety of the Spring Festival travel rush which started Jan. 28 and lasts until March 8 this year. During this period of time safety remains a high priority, as the nation still faces great pressure in containing the novel coronavirus because of mass population movements. A colorful and diverse Spring Festival is our best hope. Internet and television programs on culture and sports should be increased during the holiday and companies are encouraged to offer free access to the Internet and free meals to employees who are willing to stay. In low-risk areas, with safety as the precondition, libraries, museums, cinemas and other public facilities should be open to meet people’s needs for diverse activities. The Spring Festival should also be warm-hearted. Since some migrant workers cannot go back home to reunite with families, local governments should take care of their children and aged parents in their hometowns and organize online New Year calls for them. Meanwhile, while tightening the supervision over travel and taking different measures to avoid mass gatherings and mass population movements, governments at all levels should also make it more convenient and comfortable for those people who have to travel during the festival. Creating a family atmosphere is also an important goal. Gathering for a feast on the eve of the Spring Festival is a deep-rooted tradition for Chinese people. Restaurants across the country usually promote the important meal service several months before the festival. With more and more people staying put, fewer people will order dinner tables at restaurants. In my point of view, this is both a great challenge and a new opportunity for the traditional cuisine business. With the support of digital platforms and delivery companies, restaurants can offer precooked dinner packages and take-out services with different prices. Such a practice will not only increase the revenue of restaurants, but also cut the time for people to prepare festival dinners at home. More importantly, it will help create a family atmosphere for Chinese people to embrace the holiday. (The author is the editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Daily with a Ph.D. from the Journalism and Communication School of Wuhan University.) | 