Growing up in the uk, one gets to know that Christmas is often referred to as " silly season", yet when compared to Spring Festival in China, "silly season" in the UK is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Over a period of a few days, the people of China will embark on what media reports say will be a total of 2.98 Billion journeys. It's little wonder that China has one of the best public transport systems in the world - it NEEDS to have!

Married couples who hail from different provinces need to spend time with BOTH families during what is considered to be the most important festival in Chinese tradition.

Yet it's not all "roses and chocolates" for some. According to reports, many young people (especially women) suffer from what has now been coined "returning phobia". Due to their marital status, i.e. single, they know what pressure is going to be put on them by their family when they go home for the holidays.
Being urged to find a date and get married is the number one reason for stress and anxiety amongst women in their 20's.

For around $200, they can "rent a boyfriend". It's big business and getting bigger every year. In order to save embarrassment, women meet up with a guy, make a down payment and then hold regular meetings in order to find out as much as they can about each other in order to make the ruse seem as authentic as possible.

More and more young people believe that marriage is something that should not be rushed into, but complain that their relatives disagree. Those women returning to their hometown where many of their old school classmates are already married with kids, face even heavier pressure.

The financial cost is also something to consider. Not only travel expenses (that usually incur a couple of added zeros at this time of year), but also the Chinese tradition of giving red envelopes (Hong bao) containing cash, to relatives and friends.

The Chinese population of Bangkok is expected to spend over 6 billion RMB, so imagine how much money will change hands in China ....it'll likely run into Trillions.

Fortunately, with the introduction of the wallet function on WeChat, and the use of Alipay, "Bitcoin" is becoming the most popular way to exchange cash or buy goods because your mobile phone is, quite literally, a purse or wallet.

It's a shame that for many, a time that has traditionally been a time to look forward to, is fast becoming a time of increased stress, anxiety, expense, and for many single women, a time of misery.

Spare a thought for all the single people in China as you join me in wishing everyone a happy Chinese New Year.