HONG KONG EDITION | CHINACHINA DAILY DAILY 1612 | | HOLIDAYThursday, February 11, 2021DISCOVERSHANXI Thursday, February 11, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY HOLIDAYIncentives DISCOVERfrom Shanxi SHANXI officials make staying put an easy choice
requirement for pandemic preven “According to the State’s regula tion and control.” tions, the payment to our employ Over the past weeks, sporadic cas ees on duty from Feb 520 will be es of COVID19 have been reported two to three times their normal in several regions across the coun wages. In addition, we will give red try, prompting the government to envelopes containing up to 3,600 raise its alert level against the pan yuan to employees who stay at the demic. company,” He explained. “Those Instead of traveling In Shanxi, the provincial depart who work during the festival can ment of health and other govern still take their days off sometime home for Spring ment institutions jointly issued a later in the year as a compensa Festival, workers notice asking local businesses to tion.” on duty will enjoy persuade employees, especially As the government urges local those whose homes are far away businesses to take special care of the Staff members of Shanxi Guild, a restaurant chain in Taiyuan, are staying where they work to serve cli a slew of benefits from Shanxi, to stay in the cities staying employees, he said the com ents during Spring Festival. WU LIUHONG / FOR CHINA DAILY where they work. The government pany will provide a number of fes also promised to reward companies tive activities. By YUAN SHENGGAO and employees who actively “We will have big parties, big din Human Resources and Social Secu Many migrant workers and busi ents almost every Spring Festival,” respond to the proposal. ners and a variety of shows for the rity. nesspeople who worked and lived in Zhao said. Spring Festival is the most The incentives include direct sub festival. And our budget for such “We will provide special assist Shanxi for a long time said they are Zhao now has a new family in important traditional holiday in sidies to the companies and their activities will surpass 10 million ance to those who recently lost their not surprised with the special treat Shuozhou with her husband and China for families to reunite, employees. yuan,” He said. jobs and could not return to their ment. children. regardless of how far away from As the Spring Festival period is But the most exciting news is that homes,” Shi said. Zhao Qingmei, now in her 30s, is They run a successful snack store home they are. traditionally a slower season for the company plans to provide vacci The official said the government a native of Shandong province who in the city but still keep the tradi However, Hou Jianhua from production and business activities, nations against the COVID19 virus will offer incentives to enterprises has been working and living in tion of going back to their home Northeast China’s Heilongjiang the government of Shanxi proposed for the employees, to protect their recruiting laidoff workers. Shanxi for 10 years. town in Shandong during Spring province and his other colleagues that enterprises hold workplace health. “Small and microsized business “We have been enjoying the care Festival. decided to stay where they work in skill training for staff members. In addition to Foxconn’s Taiyuan es signing contracts with laidoff of the local people and the govern After informing her parents of her North China’s Shanxi province dur The notice said that the govern park, its industrial park in Jincheng workers valid for more than one ment over the past decade,” Zhao plan to stay this year, Zhao said she ing this year’s Spring Festival, which ment’s subsidy for enterprises hold city also offers similar treatments to year during the Spring Festival peri said. “We have never been treated is very supportive of the govern falls on Feb 12. ing training is 300 yuan ($46) per employees staying during the od will be offered a permonth subsi as strangers. The locals called us ment’s pandemic response. Hou is a worker at the Foxconn person a day during the Spring Fes Spring Festival holiday. dy of 300 yuan for each person they xin Shanxi ren, meaning that we “The government gives us red Taiyuan Science Park, based in the tival holiday. The government is fully aware recruit,” Shi said. are new residents of Shanxi.” envelopes containing cash and we capital city of Shanxi. “The government’s subsidy will that rising unemployment is possi The official added that a per capi Zhao left her hometown in can also enjoy other incentives like “In previous years, I would be at eventually go to employees and our ble during a period with fewer busi ta subsidy of 1,000 yuan will also be Shandong to work in Shuozhou free bus rides,” Zhao said. “This is home with my family several days company will have additional ness activities. In response, given to enterprises that sign city, Shanxi province, 10 years ago. our second hometown and we’re before Spring Festival,” Hou said. “I bonuses to offer,” said He Qihua, authorities want to give a helping recruitment contacts valid for more “I was inevitably homesick in my used to life here.” made the decision to stay this year head of operations of the Foxconn hand, said Shi Guangwei, deputy than half a year but less than one first few years here, so I returned to in response to the government’s Taiyuan Science Park. chief at the Shanxi Department of year. my hometown to be with my par Guo Yanjie contributed to this story. Foreign experts laud local hospitality and care
By YUAN SHENGGAO varieties were included in the pack age. Six foreign experts deciding to “Thanks to the officials for their spend their Spring Festival in consideration. I felt so much closer Xinzhou city, Shanxi province, said to home when I saw the familiar they won’t feel lonely thanks to the food,” Bito said. “I’m increasingly special care they’re getting from local attached to this city because of the officials and residents. considerate officials and friendly Jiang Jian, a semiconductor people.” expert from Singapore and general Ding Litian, head of the adminis manager of Xinzhoubased integrat trative committee of the Xinzhou ed circuit manufacturer BWIC, is development zone, expressed his Residents shop for Spring Festival decorations at a store in among the six experts. special gratitude to the experts stay Houma city. LI ANYUN / FOR CHINA DAILY “I decided to stay during Spring ing in Xinzhou. Festival to follow the local govern “The six experts have been in ment’s guidelines on pandemic con Xinzhou since the beginning of last trol,” Jiang said. “As a senior executive year and they will stay for another Holiday dough snacks a of a Chinese company, I see it as my Spring Festival due to the guidelines responsibility to do my part in the on pandemic response,” Ding said. fight against COVID19.” Japanese expert Yasunori Bito (right) instructs a BWIC technician Jiang said he is very glad to stay in unique gem in province Jiang, a SingaporeanChinese, is a on product design. FAN JINGJING / FOR CHINA DAILY the city. veteran specialist who has been in “The stay will be good for our the semiconductor industry for health as it will avoid the risk of get By YUAN SHENGGAO the demands of younger custom nearly 20 years. He is also the head “It’s a pity that I can’t be with my “Chinese and Japanese people ting infected while traveling,” he ers. of the board of foreign experts hired family in Singapore for this special share many similarities in culture,” said. “I love living in this city, where As Spring Festival draws near, The flowery buns Zhang Haiyun by the Xinzhou Economic Develop occasion,” Jiang said. “However, cele Bito said. “We both celebrate life is convenient and the environ residents in Shanxi province are makes are even more flowery. ment Zone. brating a typical Chinese Spring Fes Spring Festival — although the fes ment is clean. I’d like to pay a visit to busy making snacks with dough They feature festively colored He said that he was very happy to tival with my friends here in Xinzhou tival is celebrated on Jan 1 in Japan the nearby Wutai Mountains, which and other ingredients. flowers like roses and lilies. receive specialty food from develop will be a blessing as well.” — and value reunions with our fam is a Buddhist holy land and The dough snacks are meant not Zhang Haiyun operates a com ment zone officials on Feb 1. Another overseas expert feeling ilies.” renowned tourist attraction in Chi only to serve diners during the pany for her innovative local spe “There are also big celebrations the festive joy is Yasunori Bito from He said when he received New na.” most important festival of the year, cialty products. for Spring Festival in Singapore Japan, who is also a specialist in Year’s food as a gift from the devel but also to bring fortune and good “While catering to the aesthetics because there is a huge population semiconductors and works with opment zone’s officials, he was very Wang Liqiang contributed to this luck to the families. of younger people, we maintain with ancestral roots in China. Jiang at BWIC. happy that many typical Japanese story. Wenxi, a county in the south of our traditional techniques to keep Shanxi, is renowned throughout the genuine taste of Wenxi flowery the province for its auspicious buns that stand out from other dough snacks. varieties throughout the country,” Dough snacks there are made the entrepreneur said. Decorated history helps baijiu maker grow and flourish with centuriesold techniques, and In Shanxi, making flowery buns the process was included on Chi is usually accompanied with other By YUAN SHENGGAO The traveler’s heart is going to na’s intangible cultural heritage arts like papercutting, making red break on the way. list in 2008. lanterns and writing Spring Festi While many companies are relax Where can a wine shop can be Zhang Duanduan is a master of val couplets. ing the pace of business activities to found to drown his dismay? dough snacks, especially dough The popular folk traditions for allow employees to spend the A cowherd points to the apricot buns, in Wadi township in Wenxi. Spring Festival have drawn enthu Spring Festival holiday with their flower village far away.” Dough buns are also called siasm among foreigners living in families, a renowned baijiu — or In Xinghuacun, the production of “flowery buns” due to their rich Shanxi. white liquor — producer in Shanxi is liquor has continued for thousands shapes and colors. On Feb 1, more than 20 foreign witnessing its most prosperous peri of years. Today, Xinghuacun Several days before Spring Festi students at the international od in production. branded baijiu is a frequent winner val, which falls on Feb 12 this year, school of Taiyuan University of At a production plant in Xinghua of national and international the 82yearold woman was busy Technology toured a community cun Fenjiu Group, based in Fenyang awards, including a gold medal working in her flowery bun studio in the provincial capital of city, workers were busy bottling, during the 1915 Panama Pacific with fellow villagers. Taiyuan to experience the local sealing, labeling and packaging the International Exposition in San The studio is a small household Spring Festival culture. company’s baijiu products. A huge Francisco, the United States, business she founded to make They wrote couplets, made display on the wall of the plant according to Li Qiuxi, chairman of products for markets in Shanxi papercuts and cooked traditional showed the output of the produc the baijiu group’s board of and in other parts of the country. Chinese dishes with local residents. tion line was 12,000 bottles per hour. directors. Zhang was preparing an order “I have celebrated three Spring “The production boom is a Wearing traditional clothes, executives of Xinghuacun Fenjiu Group “While continuing to innovate from a client in Beijing, who want Festivals in China and I made result of skyrocketing demand for announce the market launch of a new bajiu product made at its old in technology, Xinghuacun Fenjiu ed to buy a batch of tigershaped dumplings and cooked noodles highquality baijiu during the distillery. CAO QINGSHENG / FOR CHINA DAILY still keeps its centuriesold tech buns for the onemonth celebra every time by myself,” said a Nige Spring Festival period,” said Jin niques in some of its old distiller tion of his newborn baby and also rian student who goes by the Chi Gang, an executive in charge of ies,” Li said. “Keeping those for Spring Festival. nese name of Wen Xinbian. production at Xinghuacun Fenjiu. lated culture. of a poem called Qingming, writ techniques gives customers an “Tiger is the lucky animal for “But the most exciting thing is “Spring Festival is always accom Archaeologists found an ancient ten by Tang Dynasty (618907) authentic taste of the brand’s his babies, as it symbolizes strength, writing Spring Festival couplets, panied with ganbei — proposals for acholic beverage production site in poet Du Mu. In the poem, Du tory.” courage and health,” Zhao said. because I’ve made steady progress toasts. Premium baijiu brands like Xinghuacun in Fenyang, the loca described his mood during his trip The company also operates the Zhao, who has been in the trade in Chinese calligraphy and gained Fenjiu are soughtafter because they tion of the company. Unearthed pro on Qingming, or Tomb Sweeping Fenjiu Baijiu Museum, where tour for half a century, has an admira a better understanding of Chinese are better for consumers’ health,” duction utensils revealed that the Day, in April. In Chinese, Xing ists can experience the old liquor ble skill in making buns with tradi culture over the past three years.” Jin said. site has a history of about 6,000 huacun literally means apricot making process while tasting the tional forms. But her fellow The executive said Fenjiu repre years of production. flower village. newly distilled white liquor. villager, Zhang Haiyun, in her 30s, Guo Yanjie and Li Shu sents China’s millennialong history But Xinghuacun became a “A drizzling rain falls like tears likes to modernize the art to meet contributed to this story. in baijiu production and baijiure household name mainly because on the Qingming day. Wang Pei contributed to this story.
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