Asia
Sierens China: in Cash in the year of the monkey
More and more Chinese give Neujahrsgeld digital and no longer in the red envelope. This is so cool, that even the Communist party participates, says DW columnist Frank Umbrella.
The highlight of every Chinese Neujahrsessens in the family always ends with the Presentation of the red envelopes – “Hongbao”. They are filled with new banknotes. This year, too. On 8. February, the year of the monkey began. Hongbao have a long Tradition. Already in the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), they were primarily on children given away to the evil spirits of them to fight. This year will have until mid-February, celebrate the new year. And no Chinese can be in his home with the family without those red Envelopes look. Because not only children get Gifts of money in the Form of Hongbao, elderly relatives.
DW-columnist Frank Umbrella
Photo: Marc Tirl
But it is not only among Relatives tradition of Hongbao to give, but also among friends and in companies where employees usually have their annual bonus in red envelopes. Meanwhile, have Chinese Relatives, or employees no longer meet in person. This is not regarded as a thoughtless, but very cool. Even the Communist party which has become so to their members more and more popular. In this year, for the first time, of 300,000 Yuan (converted 41.000 Euro) in three days, just before the Chinese new year on the Messenger App Tencent with the account name of “Communist party members” distributed to the members.
Redeauszüge by President Xi as a password
Tencent users had to to to the Money of the party to come, politically at least, as far formed, the Speeches of heads of state and party leader Xi Jinping recite. Because of the virtual red envelopes to open, had to partially idiomatic expressions, the Xi, in his new year speech had used, as passwords are entered. More than 100,000 virtual users had read the message. And over 10,000 users have even “geliket”. Should the project succeed, would have to Beijing at least every second of the 80 million party members. Probably this time it was only an attempt, the next year will be extended.
The option is still not so long. Only two years ago was the App from Tencent, a leading Chinese Internet companies, will be created. The possibility of virtual money to give away, for two reasons increasingly popular: For one, because they are easy to use, secondly because of the playful approach. The giver can be an amount set between a group of people is divided. The the fastest from the group of an envelope opens, receives the highest amount. The, which is slower, gets less. So, it can sometimes be that the fastest 50 Yuan gets, while the other only 10 or 5 Yuan wars.
Digital “red envelopes” in the Milliardenwert
A little gambling but seems not only in China to be popular. Also on New York’s Times Square were able to Tencent users by Shaking their Smartphones in front of large billboards on which Tencent advertising switched had, at certain times, digital Hongbao win. The electronically sent, money is becoming more popular. And Tencent is far ahead of its largest competitor Alipay – the Paypal of China – with 400 million users. So the distance is not even greater, has determined the party, your Hongbao via Alipay. At the same time was allowed to Alipay in a partnership with the state television station China Central Television (CCTV), in order for the Transfer of the Neujahrsgala red envelopes to the value of 800 million Yuan (109 million euros) in the audience to give away.
The Neujahrsgala each year is the Chinese TV show with the most viewers. China’s Internet companies expect that in the coming days, users are still e-Hongbao worth up to 10 billion Yuan (1.36 billion Euro) to spend. The Tencent-Hongbao is for Tencent, is not only a kind, new users for its Online payment service to advertise, but also to get the direct link to the Bank accounts of the users more stakes in China’s rapidly growing mobile payment system to get a hold of. The government is the law. Because the Hongbao System is a gigantic private social agenda: most of The money is moved from Richer to Poorer. From the coast into the Western Hinterland.
Our correspondent Frank Umbrella lives since over 20 years ago in Beijing.