MANY foreigners in the city chose to celebrate the Spring Festival in Qingdao in traditional Chinese garments. Some even bought 10 garments and gave them to their friends as presents.

    Qianchuan Department Store will be one of the city’s biggest department stores for traditional Chinese garments. Tailors are busy making clothes for customers.

    “Two months before the Spring Festival is always the busiest time. The number of orders in the past two months have exceeded the total orders in the previous 10 months. We get at least 50 orders a day,” said Shao Xiaoyan, a traditional Chinese garment shop.

    Shao said most of the customers were old people and young couples who planned to get married. Compared with last year, silk garments with dragons are the most popular this year.

    The average price of a regular garment is about 400 yuan and some are sold for more than 1,000 yuan. “Many foreigners have also bought these clothes in Qingdao,” said a manager at the store surnamed Xu.

    “I like traditional Chinese clothes. They are pretty and I want to buy some for my friends in the United States,” said a woman called Susan. Susan and her friend are both teachers at Qingdao University. They want to spend their first Spring Festival in China in Qingdao.” Many foreigners like these clothes. An African client bought more than 10 clothes for his friends,” said Xu.

    There are also several shops on Xuzhou Street and Anshan Street which sell traditional Chinese clothes. “Many residents also design their own garments,” said an unidentified owner.

    Shao said customers would place their orders three months before the Spring Festival. The workers who make the clothes had to work overtime every day. It takes about an hour and half to make an item of clothing and a worker has to make at least eight per day during peak time. (Wang Yuanyuan, Li Deyin)