Click for related special report on Christmas >>>

As they do every year, theme parks, shopping malls, hotels and other business outlets in Shenzhen are preparing themselves for Christmas.

While a "real Santa Claus" from Sweden has come and resided in the five-star Crowne Plaza Hotel, the Nanhai Hotel, also rated with five stars, has launched a Christmas party package featuring prizes of more than 10,000 yuan (US$1,200).

"No big hotels (in Shenzhen) want to lose this business opportunity. They're all geared up," said a man, surnamed Yang, of the city's hotels association.

Big Christmas trees have been put in or outside most shopping centers throughout the city. A little boy playing at the entrance of C-Mall in the Overseas Chinese Town gazed at the Christmas tree and asked his mother why he had seen many similar trees in other places.

As it always presents something new for each Christmas, the theme park Window of the World has refurbished its big entrance square and will open it Monday. Minsk World, despite facing a lawsuit by its debtors, will remain operating as normal and will present a wide range of events such as a lovers' festival during the Christmas season. Another theme park Happy Valley will run a pop music festival from Dec. 24 to Jan. 5. Shekou's Sea World Plaza will host a painting exhibition and auction in cooperation with Dafen oil painting village between Dec.23 and 26.

Westerners in Shenzhen will celebrate Christmas in various ways. American Harold Smith, a teacher at Shenzhen University, said he would invite his friends, Chinese or foreign, to his family celebration. Englishman Adrian Smith, who works with a local newspaper, said he would go to Hong Kong to have fun with old friends. And a bunch of young Americans teaching English in Shenzhen said they would tour some nearby cities during the holidays.
 
Editor: Catherine