Photo: Song Zuying and Celine Dion perform at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala (Baidu.com)

The numbers making news around China during Spring Festival

45 percent
Amount fireworks sales were down from last year during the six days starting on Chinese New Year’s eve. Wall Street Journal

6,597
Number of fires that broke out around China from Feb 9-15, leaving 36 people dead and causing property losses of 58 million yuan. China.org.cn

9 million
Number of residents who reportedly left Beijing for Spring Festival, effectively cutting the city’s population in half. Shanghaiist

3,668 yuan
Average amount people in China give out to relatives in red envelopes (hongbao) on Chinese New Year. Shanghai Daily

3.4 billion
Estimated number of journeys that take place in the 40-day period around the Chinese New Year. This is up from 2 billion in 2006. Foreign Policy

700 million
Estimated viewership of CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala The Hindu

82 percent
The proportion of Chinese who say they spend New Year’s Eve at home. TNS

70 percent
Proportion of Chinese who think their outlook for the Year of the Snake is “excellent” or “very good.” 12 percent said “poor.” TNS