SHENZHEN officially launched this year’s charity event yesterday to offer free food gift boxes to those in need as the Chinese New Year approaches, according to Shenzhen Evening News.

The event, organized by Shenzhen Project Care, has been held for 18 years and so far has offered over 7,000 care gift packages to needy families.

Each year ahead of Chinese New Year’s Eve, Shenzhen sends a free dinner meal to families in need as a way to appreciate their hard work over the past year. This has now become the city’s new tradition to celebrate Chinese New Year, said the report.

This year, gift packages are available not only to the city’s needy families and construction workers, but also to the frontline workers and retired soldiers.

Each gift package contains 10 agricultural products commonly served on Chinese New Year’s Eve such as rice, mushrooms, cured meats and sausages so that families could use these ingredients to cook their favorite dishes.

The number 10 also signals a wish to be perfect in every aspect in the new year.

All the products in the gift packages were bought from poverty-stricken villages Shenzhen has been helping for poverty alleviation. (Wang Jingli)