Time for traditional give and take

People in Beijing find mixed blessings in the tradition of giving red envelopes during Spring Festival.

After enjoying seven happy days with family and friends during Spring Festival, many young people returned to work to share their "pain", and complain that red envelopes have became an unbearable burden.

For Zhou Wan, a 28-year-old teacher who has worked in Beijing for five years, going back to her hometown in Guangdong during the Chinese Lunar New Year was a heavy drain on her savings. In the first three days of the holiday alone, she had handed out all her year-end bonus as hong bao, or gift money, to the children of relatives and friends.