Dear Friend,

The Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year for fifteen days -- from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival, which occurs on the fifteenth day of the first month. ChinaSprout's Chinese New Year Sales Page features lots of lanterns and other Chinese New Year products to extend your holiday celebration. Take advantage of these bargains now to decorate for the Year of the Dog or get a head start for next year. If you're still looking for a unique gift for your valentine, visit our Valentine's page, where you'll find one-of-a-kind gifts that they will love. Also, shop our new spring collection for clothing and accessories, toys, arts and crafts, music, books, videos, and more.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas!

Forget the box of candy and get your valentines something that truly tells them the way that you feel. No matter who is on your valentine list, you're sure to find the perfect gift on ChinaSprout's Valentine's page. We have one-of-a-kind jewelry, photo frames, scrapbooks, cufflinks, and more. Your unique and thoughtful gifts will be cherished for years to come. You can also send beautiful ecards from ChinaSprout to valentines near and far. Choose from E-CARD1 and eCARD2 .

FREE 2006 Mini Calendar

To celebrate the Year of the Dog, we are offering a "buy one, get one free" promotion. From now until February 20th, 2006, when you purchase one set of 10 Mini Calendar, you will receive a second set of 10 mini calendars for Free (make sure to add two items to your cart). These calendars make great goodies items for Chinese New Year parties.

Chinese New Year Sales!

Don't worry if you have not put up your Chinese New Year decorations. The Chinese celebrate the New Year for fifteen days so you still have time! We have put lots of Chinese New Year items on sale, especially lanterns! Plan a special party for lantern festival and decorate your home, inside and out, with beautiful lanterns, scrolls, and greeting children ornaments. Visit our special Chinese New Year sales page to take advantage now before they are all gone.

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.

Flower Mandarin Dress

Huxian Folk Painting - Dragon Dance

Chinese Feasts and Festivals

Learn Chinese While Visiting China

Apparel & Accessories

Get ready for warm weather with lovely children's clothes exclusively from ChinaSprout. We created beautiful Mandarin dresses and suits using the basic traditional design but then made them our own by giving them a modern touch. For mom, we have a selection of pretty summer sandals and comfy slip on shoes. And, for new additions, check out our adorable zodiac onsies.

Arts & Crafts

Our miniature meditation, bonsai, and zen garden kits are a fun way to seek quiet inspiration. The wooden dragon basket is a pretty, decorative piece with a hundred and one uses. The colorful Huxian folk paintings capture the simple but joyful daily life in a Chinese village. And, our unique note cards provide a very personal way to say thank you to someone special.

Handpainted Dragon Wooden Basket

Huxian Folk Painting - Dragon Dance

Huxian Folk Painting - Bamboo Village

Huxian Folk Painting - Picking Fruits

Mini Zen Garden

Mini Bonsai Garden Kit

Mini Meditation Kit

5 Sorted Sushi

8 Thank You Cards

Books

Children will love our latest storybooks, which include tales of discovery about cultural celebrations. For children and adults alike, we have new literary classics and an informative book on Chinese festivals. Adoptive families will enjoy the FCC's Adoption Nation, which contains new essays and issue updates. And, for advanced students and business persons, we have added two new language books.

Music

Enjoy the pleasing sounds of China -- from traditional folk songs to contemporary pop. We continue to add a wide range of musical selections, which highlight various regions, ethnic groups, and traditional instruments. The music of China is as diverse and beautiful as its people and its landscape.

VCDs

Spend evenings with your family exploring the sights, sounds, culture, and artistry of China. We have added some fabulous VCDs and DVDs that the whole family can enjoy together. These videos feature music, dance, opera, art, and more. Kids will also enjoy watching the animated escapades of Captain Black Cat and Shao Lin Kong Fu.

Health

Flu Away! keeps you and your entire family cool and comfortable during cold and flu season. Powerful Chinese herbs traditionally used for fever, upset stomach and sore throat are combined to make a convenient instant beverage you can take to work or enjoy anytime. For a limited time, enjoy a 20% discount on Flu Away! and Breathe Free Instant Beverages!

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.

Mulan (1998)

To save her father from death in the army, a Chinese maiden secretly goes in his place and becomes one of China's greatest heroes in the process. (Click the title above to have a new window open to the Internet Movie Data Base entry for this movie) Wednesday February 15, 2006 9:00am-11:00am on Toon Disney - Movie / Animated

Pavilion of Women (2000)

Set in 1938 China, this adaptation of Pearl S. Buck's novel is about the relationship between an American missionary (Willem Dafoe) and a landowner's wife (Luo Yan) who allows her husband to take a second bride, a young country girl (Yi Ding). Wu: Shek Sau. Fengmo: John Cho. Old Lady Wu: Anita Loo. Madame Kang: Amy Hill. Sister Shirley: Kate McGregor-Stewart. Wednesday February 15, 2006 3:00pm-5:00pm on ENCORE - Movie / Drama

Bringing Home Baby - Baby Makes Three

A child's grandmother wants the child raised in a traditional Chinese way. (2005)
Friday February 17, 2006 2:30pm-3:00pm on TLC - The Learning Channel - Other

Click here for more listings

China's Bold 'Swan,' Ready for Export

NY Times - BEIJING Feb. 2, 2006 — In November, a performance of a sensationally popular acrobatic version of "Swan Lake" in Shanghai was abruptly canceled. Refunds were issued to more than 3,000 ticketholders. And the show's two lead performers were summoned here to the nation's capital.

Read the full article here

Yao in China: No. 1 in Hearts, No. 3 in Shirts

NY Times - Feb. 2, 2006 — It is a mystery worth exploring: Yao Ming, the best-known athlete from a country of 1.3 billion people and the top vote-getter among N.B.A. All-Stars, is the name on the back of the third best-selling jersey in China.

Read the full article here

A Real Body of Work

NY Times - Feb. 2, 2006 — FASHION models are usually hired to show off next season's clothes. But last week Ming Ge, a model from Toronto, came to New York to have a traditional Chinese dress, known as a qipao, painted on her slim, statuesque body.

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.

"Study hard and never feel contented, and never be tired of teaching others." - Quotations from Confucius.

Confucius is one of the world's most respected teacher/philosophers. He continually sought out truth, wisdom, and understanding. More importantly, he also reached out to share what he learned with others. It is through this selfless teaching that we still have his words today. Mentoring others is one of the greatest individual gifts that we can share with others. We hope that, like Conficius, you will live on through the teaching of your own wisdom and life experiences.

Your Friends,

The ChinaSprout Team

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