Spring Festival, which is fast approaching, is considered the most important holiday on Chinese calendar. For Chinese businesses, this simply means end of year wrap-up meetings and celebrations. Though company-wide meetings may sound boring, but workers are there to look out for bonuses and other prizes given by companies for an end-of-the-year treat.
So as the year of the monkey closes in on us, let's find out what China's tech companies give away for their employees during the Chinese New Year. As compiled by Sina Tech, here's a partial list for you to know:
WeChat: Giving away iPhone 6S handsets for everyone
Tencent is doing everything for success, which is why WeChat app had a good 2015. Aside from celebrating Chinese New Year, it is also the app's fifth year. As per reports, Tencent celebrated it by giving the WeChat team with an iPhone 6S handset.
Netease: Apple gear, plus awkward prizes like blow-up dolls and vibrators
Like most Chinese companies, Netease did a great job for its year-end celebration. The top prizes given by the company were PS4s, Apple Watches, Macs and iPhones. For the low-end prizes, they gave away pretty gawky prizes such as vibrators for the girls and blow-up sex dolls for the guys. It is a way of making their employees deeply uncomfortable.
Sina: cash, cars, and gadgets
Employees of China's biggest web portal Weibo are giving away the top prize of RMB 50,000 or US$7,600. Other prizes include a one-year lease for a Mercedez Benz, three 21-day leases of other cars and more gadgets such as Kindles and iPhones.
JD.com: huge cash and more prizes
Liu Qiangdong, JD's CEO, had a great year last year. Back in August, he married an internet celebrity, and will become a father soon. So JD celebrates the Chinese New Year by giving big prizes to his workers. One hundred lucky winners will receive RMB 10,000 or US$1,500, and another 50 more will receive RMB 20,000 or US$3,000 in cash. There will also be iPad Mini 4's, iPhone 6S handsets and several JD.com gift cards to give.
As for companies like Alibaba and Baidu, the latter company celebrates Spring Festival every other year. Alibaba celebrates once a year during its Alibaba Day.
See below what people usually do during the Chinese New Year: