A: Hello and welcome to Listeners' Garden here on China Radio International. I'm your host, LPC.

B: And I' m JP, thanks for joining us. As Christmas is just around the corner, we'd like to wish all our listeners a merry Christmas.

A: Yes, merry Christmas! No matter where you are and how you celebrate the festival, we wish you all a happy holiday!

B: Christmas is an exotic festival here in China, and it has continued to grow in popularity with the Chinese people. In Beijing, for instance, colourful decorations can be seen everywhere in the streets and every corner of the city now permeates with a merry feeling.

A: In shopping malls, supermarkets and restaurants, I can also see many sales people dressed in Santa Claus hats and clothes.

B: There is even a huge Christmas tree and a life size Santa in the lobby of CRI - and he's surrounded by loads of presents.

A: You know China is not a Christian country, so for many Chinese, Christmas means a time for joy and fun rather than a religious event. It's especially popular with the young. They're enthusiastic about shopping, eating, having parties and holding Christmas Eve festivities. And naturally, children are always eager to receive gifts from Santa Claus.

B: That's why stores, hotels, restaurants, pubs and entertainment venues have all seized the Christmas season as a golden time to increase their business.

A: Definitely. As Christmas is drawing closer, these places have all been beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and ornaments. Many hotels and restaurants offer reservations for Christmas Eve dinners, and department stores have prepared enough festive goods to satisfy customers' shopping spree needs.

B: Although Christmas holds little religious meaning to most Chinese people, many churches here will hold grand celebrations so Christians can spend the festival in the traditional way.

A: That's right. In fact, many non-Christian Chinese also like to go to church during the Christmas season to experience the cultural significance of the holy festival.

B: Good to know that. But I'm afraid we've talked too much about Christmas. Let's focus on the rest of our work now.

A: Alright, on today's show, as usual we' first check our letterbox.

B: And then we'll continue with our review of China's reform and opening up over the past 30 years. Please stay with us.

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A: Welcome back to Listeners' Garden. I'm LPC.

B: And I'm JP. In today's review of China's reform and opening up, we'll take a look at the reform of the state-owned enterprises, or SOEs, in the past 30 years. SOE Reform

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B: With that, we end this edition of Listeners' Garden. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to us at garden@cri.com.cn. 

A: You can also listen to our program online by logging on to our Website at crienglish.com.

B: I'm JP, thanks for joining us, and again wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

A: And I'm LPC, merry Christmas, and we hope to see you again at the same time next week. Bye for now.