I’m about to drop off the face of the Earth for a few days, and when I come back… it will officially be the Year of the Tiger! Sounds a little crazy, right? Living in China is challenging, and not always a smooth ride at times… but there’s a lot to be thankful for as the Lunar year wraps up, and wholesalers around the world who participate in programs and partnerships with Chinese manufacturers take a breather – whether they like it or not. Food, family, friends, and fireworks are the orders of the day for the locals. The whole country seems to stop for a moment, as celebrations that are similar to the western world’s Christmas holiday take over, and little else matters besides making the rounds as the new year makes its grand entrance. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, it also means a very large – and often unscheduled – hiccup in business activity. Some things you should know about this extremely significant holiday can be found right here in today’s blog post, and this might be valuable information for those who don’t really understand Chinese culture, or haven’t had the chance to visit yet.

Eye of the Tiger! Photo by Jingjing Hong.

What exactly happens in China during the big event known as 春节 (chun jie, Spring Festival) that most people outside of the PRC don’t know anything about? Well, you can Google or Wiki it for starters, but that’s not going to give you the straight dope on the more – let’s just call them interesting – aspects of the holidays that aren’t going to be found on too many of the mainstream media outlets. Except maybe this one. I’ve been talking to a lot of wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers here in my neck of the woods, and the one chord that always strikes the most deeply comes from cultural misunderstandings and a sudden breakdown in communication during this time of year.

Let’s start with the supply chain. I was having lunch with a French expat associate of mine a couple of days ago, and we were talking about the painful realities he deals with these days as he tries to solve issues that his customers are having with regard to sudden stoppages in shipments and deliveries from China. He works with European wholesalers who need a lot of little mechanical parts for their products, and the factories that produce these goods have literally shut their doors. Did they go out of business? No, they just don’t have the manpower to keep the assembly lines humming along. In fact, many of the companies that supply goods to the outside world are going through the same thing, as migrant workers make their mass exodus out of the city, and back to their respective countryside villages to celebrate the new year. Many of them won’t be coming back, either… which means that they will not only be looking for new jobs, but the companies that rely upon the goods they produce will be drumming their fingers on their desks until things start moving again. Unfair, you say? Ask anyone out here, and they will tell you 没办法  (mei ban fa, there’s no way) and shrug their shoulders as they resume chatting on QQ. Safety in numbers can work against you sometimes, and when the world’s low-cost manufacturing center sleeps, the rest of the world can do little else than wait.

My advice? Don’t try to fight it, just learn to anticipate and develop your own workarounds to the problem. China changes fast, but some things never change. It’s not necessarily the end of the world either, as countries that are growing weary from kowtowing to the moody Dragon have begun looking for alternatives in India, Brazil, and other eager manufacturing centers that show some promise. This could be the break you need as well, if you’re a smaller operation looking for the window of opportunity to fulfill a niche in sourcing or void in service that your competition is not able to take care of. It helps to understand the culture of the countries that are making the most impact on the environment, and at the end of the day we’re all doing this for the same reasons. With profitability on your mind, you just might even find some new ways to enjoy the downtime by taking in the New Year’s Special on the CCTV network, and sipping 白酒 (bai jiu, Chinese liquor) while eating a steaming bowl of 饺子 (jiao zi, dumplings) with friends and family. That’s what I’ll be doing, anyway… and when the party’s over I’ll be ready to get back to work.

Cheers, and Happy New Year to all of you! 新年快乐！

Rueben