In order to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, most Chinese people stayed where they were as encouraged by the Chinese government to spend the Spring Festival vacation of the new year of ox. According to the statistics, Jinji Lake scenic area received 587,900 visitors/entries during the Spring Festival. Nine hot spots like cruise on Jinji Lake, Ligongdi Causeway, Suzhou Culture＆Arts Center, Suzhou Center, Eslite had a total accumulative turnover of 180 million RMB.

As an administrative office in charge of Jinji Lake scenic area, Jinji Lake Scenic Area Administration organized artistic and cultural show entitled “encounter YOUNG Suzhou”. In addition, the Administration organized the performance of Kun Opera, ballet, street dance, folk music and conjuring beside Jinji Lake for locals and tourists on each afternoon of the first three days of the Chinese new year. 

Many other businesses and organizations also had their respective offerings to attract locals and tourists or to celebrate the Spring Festival.

The “Fair of Ox” in Suzhou Center opened in the year of the Ox. Games here attracted lots of tourists around them. Take a handful of loops and throw them one by one each time at some targets representing different items as rewards; go to practise archery which was very popular in ancient China. More games like pitch-pot (Chinese: Touhu, requiring players to throw sticks from a set distance into a large, sometimes ornate, canister. "Pitch-pot" is a literal translation of the two Chinese characters in the name (as in "pitch it into the pot")) and “tie coins into a ball” bring you to the scenes of ancient Chinese spring festival.

Eslite Spectrum food fair 2021 provided more than 600 kinds of desserts and refreshments for locals and tourists. Jiuguang Department Store presented the performance of lion dancing to observe the Spring Festival. Shin Kong Place provided free Chinese stationery including brush pen, ink, red paper, model of calligraphy for practice. Many locals and tourists wrote the Chinese character “福”(good luck) after the model and brought them home.

Art galleries and cultural entities around Jinji Lake such as Eslite Book Store, Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum, QU ART MUSEUM, Rainbow·Art Gallery on Ligongdi Causeway, all offered cultural and arts exhibitions for locals and tourists.

The cinemas around the lake put new year movies on for locals and tourists.

“Jinji Lake Water Droplet” volunteers were still on duty every day during the Spring Festival vacation to provide voluntary services for locals and tourists. Their services were like the lanterns which not only warmed up the visitors in cold weather but also guided the visitors to their destinations.

From WeChat official account "Jinji Lake in Bloom"

来源：情定金鸡湖

Translated by Shao Yiqun

翻译：邵轶群