Dear Friend,

This time of year, it seems that the fun of holiday celebrations never ends! The festive red and gold colors of Chinese New Year reminds us that another holiday is just around the corner -- Valentine's Day! Visit ChinaSprout's Valentine's page to find gift and decorating ideas that will warm your heart. You will even find many of these products at greatly reduced prices, as part of our Semi-Annual Sale. Another big shipment from China has arrived. It includes new apparel, accessories, toys, books, music CDs, DVDs, and VCDs products. Visit our Web site for these items, as well as hundreds of other incredible gift and decorating ideas available right at your fingertips.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas!

Valentine’s Day is in three short weeks. Get your valentines special gifts that are as unique as they are. ChinaSprout has prepared a Valentine's page and filled it with great gift ideas for all of the special someones in your life. Choose from one-of-a-kind jewelry, books, photo frames, scrapbooks, cufflinks, wall hangings, and more. Your unique and thoughtful gifts will be cherished for years to come.

FREE 2006 Calendar

We are giving away a FREE 2006 Table Calendar to customers whose order totals $50.00 or more. Don't miss your opportunity to get this wonderful calendar. Our FREE 2006 Calendar offer is good while supplies last. In order to apply the coupon to order your free gift, add the Calendar to your shopping cart. When you arrive on the Shopping Cart page, enter in the coupon code 1138079249 and hit the "Apply Coupon" button. After the coupon is successfully added to your order, you will see the message:"Coupon Applied".

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. ChinaSprout also offers free eCards, which you can send to your friends and family to wish them joy and prosperity in the Year of the Dog!

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

January 29, 2006 is the beginning of Chinese New Year 4703, The Year of the Dog. Every twelve years the same Chinese astrological sign returns. Earlier years of the Dog include 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, and 1994. People born during one of those years are supposedly influenced by canine energy. Read more in Letha's fourth article for ChinaSprout.

Semi-Annual Sale

We have put hundreds of items on sale to make room for even more great products coming in from China. Many of our sale items are great for celebrating the Chinese New Year or Valentine's Day, so don't miss this opportunity to save. Visit our sale pages to find great bargains on 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.

Pink Butterfly Mandarin Dress

Name Your Own Doll

Mahjong in Dragon/Phenix Wooden Case

My First Chinese Games

Apparel & Accessories

Welcome in the New Year wearing a stunning dress from ChinaSprout. Our two newest Qi Paos are real head turners! If you're looking for more casual fare, try our simple Year of the Dog T-Shirt. You can also share a little Chinese culture with those you love by giving a zodiac key chain for adults or lovely 100 Days Red Envelopes for the newest family additions.

Home Decor

China is known to produce lovely handicrafts that capture the beauty and essence of this majestic country. ChinaSprout is pleased to be able to offer many of these incredible craftswork products to our customers. Our latest shipment includes porcelain jars, paintings, and game sets with intricately carved playing pieces.

Double Happiness Porcelain Container

Huxian Folk Painting - Spring at Great Wall

Oil Painting – Baby with Tiger Hat

Fan Shape Water Color Paintings

Mahjong in Dragon/Phenix Wooden Case

Chinese Chess with Imperial Figures

Toys

Children love Chinese New Year because it is an exciting time, filled with colorful decorations, celebratory sounds, and gifts! ChinaSprout has many new toys for the little ones. Choose from yo-yos, doll clothes, sticky notes, and excavation kits for simple but fun gift ideas. Plus, our fish sticks are a great way to get kids started using chopsticks. Perfect for New Years dinners!

Books

Learn more about China through our latest addition of books that tell of the country's history, games, festivals, and intriguing tea culture. If you are studying Chinese, be sure to check out our tremendous selection of dictionaries, and language references, and readers. All of these helpful tools are great for beginning through advanced learners.

Music CDs

ChinaSprout is host to a rich collection of music -- from ancient folk songs to popular contemporary tunes. Our latest selections include timeless classics from Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Sichuan. Pop music fans will enjoy CDs from musical group Black Duck and Suo Lang Wang Mu, whose beautiful "Songs of Heaven" weaves stories of the land and people of Tibet.

DVD and VCD

Are the kids stuck inside on a rainy or snowy day? Pop in one of our children's Chinese dance DVDs or VCDs for hours of fun -- either alone or with a group of friends. Kids' favorite, Mei Mei, also has a new language DVD that incorporates music and dance. For adults, we have a new China Panorama DVD as well as a compelling series on Beijing's Forbidden City.

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.

China's Man Made Marvels - "The Great Wall"

Warrior tribes from the Steppes slaughtered people at will, until first Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, ordered his generals to build a massive line of defenses across the country. A great wall was built but claimed the lives of up to a million slave laborers. Saturday January 28, 2006 7:00pm-8:00pm on DSC - Discovery Channel - Travel

Beijing Makeover

China will host the 2008 Olympics. Now the race is on to transform the capital, Beijing, into a showplace for the "new China." China is spending billions, summoning the world's greatest architects, an army of engineers and work force of thousands... Saturday January 28, 2006 8:00pm-9:00pm on DSC - Discovery Channel - Travel

China's Mega-Dam

The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China is the largest public works project in the history of mankind. Its size, scale, and potential are unprecedented in engineering history. The dam is in its final stages of completion - but will it work?Saturday January 28, 2006 9:00pm-11:00pm on DSC - Discovery Channel - Special / Science

Click here for more listings

A TV 'King' Pushes the Limits, Flashily but Gently

NY Times, January 21, 2006 - The third floor of the fashionable coffee shop is empty, so when Li Yong reaches the top of the staircase and steps onto the landing, his entrance is greeted with silence. But Mr. Li, a popular television host known for his flamboyant style, makes an entrance, nonetheless.

Read the full article here

Chinese Character Tattoos: Lost in Translation

All Things Considered, January 11, 2006 · Robert Siegel talks with Tian Tang, author of a Web site dedicated to the misuse of Chinese characters in Western culture. Tang posts photos of Chinese character tattoos that either contain errors or carry no meaning.

Read the full article here

Live From China

Marketplace broadcast live from China, presenting a range of special reports on Marketplace, the Marketplace Morning Report, and Marketplace Money. Kai Ryssdal hosted all three programs.

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.

"A good friend shields you from the storm." - Chinese Proverbs

There is nothing more rewarding in life than to have a special friend who is there for you in both good times and in bad. No matter how difficult life gets, a true friend can bring sunshine to even the rainiest of days. May you always have your own trusty umbrella, come rain or shine. We wish you much happiness and prosperity in the Year of the Dog!

Your Friends,

The ChinaSprout Team

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