Throughout the time of my life, I have heard too many expats those who do business, telling me that people just don’t work or responding at all during the month of January or February. d
Throughout the time of my life, I have heard too many expats those who do business, telling me that people just don’t work or responding at all during the month of January or February. They are the clients and they have no idea why they are not served well on time.
And my job, most of the time, was to explain why they should compromise with that. But maybe it is not enough for them to understand why that certain amount of time the whole China seems like a zombie?
If you ever need a shipment to deliver or products need to be manufactured or any business deal needs to negotiate with any Chinese suppliers or partners during the time of the end of January till the end of February…sorry, I take that back, from the end of Dec till the beginning of March, expect slow to zero responds and work, or simply talk to your overseas clients to postpone the shipment till April.
Ridiculous.
But that’s how it works.
Even though China is country of manufacturers paradise and Chinese people, from factory workers to white collar at the CBD are crazy hard working that they can work 12 hours a day with one or two days off weekly, from the factory to the people in beautiful CBD downtown.
But China does have a month or two that is totally “dead”—not responsive or slow work movement. That is the Chinese New Year(CNY), the greatest and the most important festival all year long for all Chinese people. And, to play safe, give it 2 months.
What !? 2 months! I don’t think Christmas can even be that long! How could a family reunion be so long?
Hope the below points will help you understand better:
Labour mobility
The Chinese labor mobility is very different from countries in the West. Most of the population in China are farmers from the countryside. And since the industrial revolution in the West took place and the country has been encouraging farmers migrant to the cities to work more after, the labor mobility has been moved from the countryside to cities in China.
Long distance
China is huge. When moving out to the cities, it sometimes means thousands of kilometers from hometowns. And most of the migrant workers don’t have cars or the money for air flights. So seeing family become a very rare thing for them throughout a year. LIt may be twice a year or sometimes once a year.
Family
A family in China usually consists of members of grandparents, parents, wife, and kids, with very tight connections. However, a family in the West, from my understanding, usually consists of members of the only wife and kids. Normally, they are expected to separate from their parents reaching 18. When people in the West move, they can usually bring their spouses and kids along. When Chinese move, they are not likely to bring all the family members with them. Sometimes not even the spouses and kids, either because the women need to take care of the grandparents and parents in the countryside or they are not likely to afford high living expenses in the city or education for the kids.
Slow transportation
We have a word “春运（chun yun)”, referring to train transport of people during CNY. It is symbolic of huge crowd shown in a picture above. Public transportation is more preferred by the Chinese migrant workers due to the crowd and disposal income level. We do have a lot of cars in the cities, but for the factory workers, or like above, who travel far from the countryside without a very handsome income, they will choose the most cost-effective way–train, to travel back home during CNY. Since it is cost-effective, it is very slow on the way, taking at least one to two days to go home. And a lot of people live so deeply within the countryside or mountain, after the train, they need to take a bus, then switch it to a motorcycle, then switch it to a bike, then a donkey, and lastly, walk for miles to get to their family in the mountain.
Poor infrastructure and internet
Well, if they are home, we can still talk about work on the internet, right? Wrong. Most countrysides have poor infrastructures and internet facilities. When they are back in the area, they are gone.
A nation of people who value family connection the most were separated so far away from their families throughout a year. So that makes CNY the only time in a year an undeniable and unnegotiable time for slow work or no response.
However, not ALL Chinese take 1-2 months off to see family. For those who have better disposable income and live close to their hometowns, they usually take 3-7 days off and will get back to work shortly. But that does not help much. Those who manufacture that keeps the business rolling need 1-2 months. Most Chinese people can neglect all business and just go home for the family during that time of the year.
Hope this article has explained it clear enough to reduce the complaints and for you to understand why you should give up a billion dollars deal if it insists to process during the CNY time in China.
