Dear Friend,

We hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday and that you have many lovely memories of your special time together! For the Chinese, the Lunar New Year festival is the most important annual holiday. 2006 welcomes in the Year of the Dog on January 29th. Visit ChinaSprout's Chinese New Year page to find lanterns, ornaments, books, clothing, and decorations for the Lunar festival. We have also added new apparel, accessories, Chinese language books, and home décor products, perfect for the holiday or just because. And, if it's a bargain you're looking for, be sure to take advantage of ChinaSprout's greatly reduced prices during our After Christmas Sale.

Celebrate Year of the Dog!

2006 is the Year of the Dog. The Chinese welcome in this new Lunar Year on January 29th, 2006. Visit our special Chinese New Year page to find everything you need to help you celebrate this special holiday, just as millions of Chinese do around the world. We also have free eCards, which you can send to your friends and family!

FREE Chinese New Year Gift

To celebrate Year of the Dog, we are offering a "buy two, get one free" promotion. From now until January 9th 2006, when you purchase two Hand-Painted Glass Ornament - Dog, you will receive a third one for Free (make sure to add three items to your cart). These ornaments are a thoughtful way to commemorate the New Year holiday and make great decorations for your tree or anywhere in your home.

After Christmas Sale

Visit our After Christmas Sales pages to find great bargains on holiday decorations and ornaments, apparel and accessories for kids and adults, toys, home decor items, and many more fabulous pieces . Many items are reduced up to 60% from their original prices. It is never too early to start gift purchases for next Christmas or to put items away for next year's holiday decorating.

Holiday Feasting and Fitness

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas and an outstanding Hanukkah season? At our house, we keep digestive Chinese teas and health foods on hand to make the season jolly and bright. When Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and his lively band stop at our house on the way back to the North Pole, we offer them a glass of cheer. Read more in Letha's third article for ChinaSprout.

Dragon Mandarin Jacket

Year of the Dog Wall Hanging

Folk Art Cushion Cover

Chinese for Children (DVD)

Apparel

The Chinese purchase clothing just before the New Year, so that they can begin the year anew. Start your year off right by adding new dresses and shirts, from ChinaSprout, to your wardrobe. We also have dresses, jackets, and suits for children and adults, to keep them warm and stylish while enjoying the festive celebrations of the Lunar New Year.

Accessories

Whether you are heading to the office, running errands, or going out for a night on the town, ChinaSprout has the perfect bag for you! Our wide selection of bags, in many shapes and sizes, ensures that you will find just what you need for any occassion. If you are looking for a small gift for the Chinese New Year, be sure to check out our lovely wool scarves, coin earings, or adorable brocade baby shoes.

Home Decor

Brighten up your home for the New Year with beautiful Chinese home decor products from ChinaSprout. Choose from cushion covers, wall hangings, magnets, containers, and paintings, to give your home or office a little Chinese flair. Our beautiful photo albums are perfect for storing photos and momentos from the holidays as well as other special moments in your life.

Learn Chinese

ChinaSprout is excited to introduce two new Chinese language learning series! Chinese for Children is a wonderful learning tool and is distributed exclusively by ChinaSprout. Plus, we also have added the heralded BBC Muzzy series, which is now available in Mandarin Chinese. And, of course, we always have a great selection of textbooks, workbooks, and flashcards to choose from.

Health

Herbs can change your life. They are able to increase your beauty and vitality because they are filled with sunshine and nourishment. Some are as familiar as teas and spices used in cooking; others are the exotic stuff of quaint Oriental shops. No matter what their form, natural herbal medicines increase your life force and immune strength.

Chinese New Year

ChinaSprout has an incredible selection of Chinese New Years products that will help you to create an authentic New Years experience. Stock up on lanterns, decorations, red envelopes, music, videos, books, and more. Then, invite friends and family over to help you celebrate the New Year. Make it an annual event that everyone will look forward to!

The China Related TV list is compiled weekly by Kirby Bartlett-Sloan. Kirby, an adoptive parent of three Chinese girls, has one of the most comprehensive TV listings of programs on China and from China that are in the English language.

A Baby Story - Baby Bloodgood

For the Bloodgoods adopting from China was an easy decision. Starting a family with their daughter Zoe made them want to do it all over again, but this time, Vickie will be flying halfway around the world without her husband. Tuesday December 27, 2005 9:30am-10:00am on TLC - The Learning Channel - China Adoption

"Little Red Riding Hood" - Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

B.D. Wong ("All-American Girl") provides the voice of the wolf in a Chinese-style adaptation of "Little Red Riding Hood," known here as Little Red Happy Coat. Voices: Amy Hill (Mama, Mrs. Oolong), Vu Mai (Red) and Brian Tochi (Tailor). Wednesday December 28, 2005 6:00am-6:30am on HBOFAM - HBO Family - Children's Show / Entertainment

The Diva Mummy

Two thousand years ago the lords and ladies of China's Han Dynasty lived lives of such opulent splendour they wanted to live forever - and some of them came close.
Thursday December 29, 2005 10:00pm-11:00pm on NGC - National Geographic Channel - History

Click here for more listings

Chun-Hwa Cheng: Chinese orphans' "American mom"

People's Daily - December 22, 2005 · Chinese American Chun-Hwa Cheng is the president of the charity organization American United Moms Charity Association. The charity cause she launched has been carried on in the Chinese mainland for years, donating a total of over 20 million yuan. A fund of 2 million yuan was put into supporting poor students and building orphan schools in Yunan Province in 2005 alone.

Read the full article here

Green tea may help fight against leukaemia

People's Daily - December 23, 2005 · Green tea may help treat a form of adulthood leukaemia, if the cases of four patients are any indication, according to a new report. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, found that of four patients who started drinking green tea or taking green tea extracts, three showed clear improvements in their condition in the following months.

Read the full article here

Building Beijing

BBC World Service - December 24, 2005 · Beijing seems to be in the midst of a boom which is fuelling new building and a complete makeover for the city. By the time of the 2008 Olympics the Chinese capital hopes to rival the world’s great cities for modernity, efficiency and wealth.

Read the full article here

NOTE: Select NY Times articles require registration which provides free and instant access to breaking news, reviews, online classifieds and more on NYTimes.com.

"The Roc 'Flies Ten Thousand Li" An anicent Chinese expression used to wish a person a promising future and great success. - Stories Behind 100 Chinese Idioms.

As another year passes by and we look forward to all that the coming year has to bring, we wish you all a successful and prosperous new year!

Your Friends,

The ChinaSprout Team

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