No Santa. No trees. No stockings. No lights.The authorities in Langfang, a city in China’s Hebei province, have issued a ban on all Christmas displays on streets and in stores, according to a notice from city officials.
Christmas may be a Western holiday, but it has been co-opted by shopping malls in Chinese cities as a seasonal marketing opportunity, with glittering trees towering in malls to draw in shoppers. In Langfang, however, city authorities have vowed to clear out all Christmas lights and decorations from its streets, stores and schools. The notice ordered employees to do a sweep of shopping malls and streets on Dec. 23, 24 and 25 to make sure there are no Christmas decorations.
