Episode 3: Holiday provides good chance to travel

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As people's lifestyles continue to change, the traditional concept of family reunions during the Spring Festival is  evolving.

These groups of people have become potential customers for Taiwan packages, especially after the Chinese mainland and the island opened direct tourism links last July. Since then, over two-thousand mainland residents have travelled to Taiwan and there are a number of packages specially designed for Spring Festival travel.

For those who like cold weather, northeast China is a fantastic place to go. The provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin hold snow and ice festivals each year showcasing gigantic ice sculptures, snow carving, skiing and other sporting events on the ice.

And there are many other destinations to suit just about anyone.

Huang Guoyue, said, "Well as a young white-collar worker I'm always interested in going to a shopping paradise like Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. But I'm also considering trips to those romantic destinations such as Southeast Asia and Maldives, because I travel with my boyfriend and other friends very often too. Yunnan Province in south China is also a very beautiful place. I've been asking tourist agencies about their Japan packages this year, as I really want to go shopping but stores in Hong Kong will also be closed during the first few days of the lunar New Year holiday."

Many still have to work during the spring festival and will only have the chance to make a short trip to the outskirts of the city. But Beijing's suburbs have hidden gems, such as ski slopes and hot-spring resorts.

"Hundreds of thousands of residents in China are expected to travel around the world during this year's Spring Festival. And while some may be put off by the enormous crowds, for many, it's the only chance they get to spend some quality time with their families, and to rest up for the months ahead back in the office."