https://www.scmp.com/rss/330395/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Tencent Holdings founder Pony Ma Huateng will not hand out red packets to employees for the Lunar New Year, the first time this has happened in nearly two decades, as China deals with the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.   Shenzhen-based Tencent has canceled its traditional hongbao handout to staff on the first working day after this year’s Spring Festival, which is on February 1, according to a post released on the company’s social media account on Tuesday. It did not provide a specific reason... https://www.scmp.com/culture/tencent-ceo-wont-hand-out-chinese-new-year-cash-envelopes-amid-virus-concerns/article/3047170?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/tencent-ceo-wont-hand-out-chinese-new-year-cash-envelopes-amid-virus-concerns/article/3047170?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2020 08:48:29 +0000 Touching an application on his smartphone, student Danny Wong types in an amount of HK$20, and clicks the “confirm” button. The 25-year-old Hongkonger says he just sent lai see to a friend electronically and wished him a happy Lunar New Year. Hongkongers hand out lai see – red paper packets filled with “lucky money” – on auspicious occasions like birthdays, weddings and the Lunar New Year, which begins on January 25 this year and lasts two weeks. The festive red packets are given out by Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/tech/electronic-red-packets-grow-popularity-not-all-occasions/article/3046800?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/electronic-red-packets-grow-popularity-not-all-occasions/article/3046800?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2020 06:28:33 +0000 When Lunar New Year rolls around next February, Chinese Apple users will have another reason to celebrate. A red envelope and firecracker are part of more than 70 new emoji to be included in the next iOS update, expected to arrive in the coming weeks. They’ve already been available on Twitter and in the latest version of Android after the Unicode Consortium, which manages the emoji library, approved them earlier this year. Red envelopes are an essential part of Chinese culture. Known as hongbao... https://www.scmp.com/culture/red-envelope-and-mooncake-emoji-are-coming-iphone/article/3000162?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/red-envelope-and-mooncake-emoji-are-coming-iphone/article/3000162?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Oct 2018 09:11:00 +0000