Christmas increasingly popular in China despite restrictions
From Max Lee

BEIJING—Millions of people celebrated Christmas in China as the holiday becomes increasingly popular, both commercially and religiously, despite government attempts to limit the spread of Christianity. State-approved churches in Beijing reported bigger crowds than previous years, with many worshippers and others packed against the aisles or standing outside churches watching services on TV monitors.
“It’s mainly because people are facing increasing pressures in life. They want to find something that brings them peace and balance,” a nun surnamed Yu at the Nantang Catholic church in Beijing told newsmen. A Beijing TV journalist, Zhang Li, said 10,000 to 20,000 people thronged Beijing’s Xishiku Catholic church which he attended on Christmas Eve.
He is among the growing number of Chinese people who are turning to religion for spiritual support, and goes to church every Christmas Eve even though he is not a Christian. “I want to feel the Christmas atmosphere. I go there to pray for peace and good health for my family,” Zhang said.
Hotels, restaurants and other businesses are also seizing on the holiday as a chance to boost earnings. Christmas trees and lights now decorate shopping malls, restaurants and office buildings, with images of Santa more common than images of the country’s most famous modern leader, the late Mao Zedong.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Social Survey Institute of China, 90 percent of 2,000 people surveyed in 14 big cities said they had celebration plans on Christmas Eve, Saturday’s China Daily reported. With gift-giving becoming more common, stores saw a surge in pre-Christmas spending, and many extended their closing time on Christmas Eve, local news agency said.
While the government sees the benefits of Christmas in boosting consumer spending, it is wary of the spread of Christianity, or any religion, for fear such a trend could rival its authority. The Vatican, whose authority Beijing refuses to recognize, estimates there are 10 million Catholics in underground churches. There are believed to be many more underground Protestants.