Traditional festive gifts get more interesting

While red envelopes containing money are usually presented as gifts in China during holidays such as the Spring Festival or celebrations like wedding ceremonies, China’s largest online travel agency Ctrip has seasoned this tradition with an exotic flavor this Lunar New Year by rolling out red packets containing foreign currency.

The red packet, which made its debut starting this month, comprises 50 notes in 26 foreign currencies, and every note is sealed in a plastic cover with information related to its country of origin. More information can be obtained by scanning the QR code on the cover.

The foreign currency red packet is priced at 128 yuan ($19) each. A total of 5,000 such packets have been made this year, said Hu Zhengmao, head of the foreign exchange business at Ctrip.

While the red packets were available in Ctrip’s brick-and-mortar stores on the first day, all of them were sold out in eight hours. Consumers can now go to the travel agency’s online platform to make the order and pick up the product at designated stores.

Apart from Ctrip, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has also rolled out the foreign currency red packets this year, which is priced at 598 yuan per set. Most of the notes are less seen, coming from countries like Cambodia or Zimbabwe, said Fang Qing, vice-general manager of ICBC’s Jing’an branch in central Shanghai.