Monkey-themed products hot sellers as lunar year draws nearer

Even though the Chinese Lunar New Year is still a month away, people are already going ape for the Year of the Monkey.

尽管距中国农历新年还有一个月，人们都已经开始对猴年狂热起来。

The Chinese lunar calendar assigns an animal symbol to each year in a 12-year cycle. According to the zodiac, 2016 is the Year of the Monkey.

中国农历以十二年为一轮，每一年对应十二生肖中的一种动物。根据十二生肖，2016年为猴年。

On Wednesday night, Tian Meng, 62, anxiously stayed up until midnight in order to make online reservation of a set of commemorative coins issued by the central bank for the Year of the Monkey.

星期三的晚上，62岁的田蒙为了在网上预定一套由央行发行的猴年纪念币，焦虑不安地熬到午夜。

"I usually go to sleep very early at night, but I want to get the coins," explained the retiree from Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province.

这位来自中国东部安徽合肥的退休老人解释说，"我习惯早睡，但我太想抢到这套纪念币了。"

The People's Bank of China issues the coins on Jan. 16 and began taking pre-orders at midnight on Thursday. By Thursday morning, all the coins were reserved.

央行将于1月16日发布这种猴年纪念币，星期四（1月7日）凌晨开始预售。星期四一早，所有的纪念币都被抢空。

The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, falls on Feb. 8 this year, ending the Year of the Sheep. The monkey comes ninth in the 12-animal rotation, following the sheep and preceding the rooster. Others in the zodiac include rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, dog and pig.

今年将在2月8日过中国农历新年（又被称为春节）。这一天也标志着羊年的结束。猴在十二生肖中排在第九位，前面是羊，后面是鸡。十二生肖的其它动物包括鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、狗、猪。

According to the zodiac, people born during the Year of the Monkey are thought to be smart, lively and playful.

根据十二生肖，在猴年出生的人被认为聪明、活泼、顽皮。

Chinese stores, offices, homes and cars will be decorated with zodiac-themed trinkets weeks before the lunar new year, offering a boom for businesses across the country.

每当春节来临的前几周，中国的大小商场、办公室、家里和车上都会装饰上生肖主题的小饰品，这也带动了全国各地饰品生意的欣欣向荣。

In Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, the world's largest wholesale market for small consumer goods has entered the high season. At the Festival Commodities Market, wholesale dealers can be seen hawking monkey-themed paintings, scrolls with traditional couplets, toys and lucky charms.

全球最大的小商品批发市场浙江省义乌也迎来了旺季。在年货市场，随处可见批发商在叫卖以猴子为主题的年画，卷轴对联，玩具和护身符。

"Besides Chinese customers, there are also many foreign clients," said Liu Qing, a wholesale dealer purchasing products at the market.

在市场上采购商品的批发商刘庆说，"除了中国人，还有很多外国客户呢。"

The scene is similar in the nearby city of Jinhua, where businesses are busy introducing their latest monkey products to customers.

附近的金华市也有类似的场景，商家都在忙着给客户介绍最新的猴年饰品。

"This year's major products are lucky paper with the Chinese character 'Fu' (happiness) and couplets on scrolls," a businesswoman surnamed Lu said as she showed the products to a customer in Jinhua's Dongyang Mall. "Gold ingots with monkey images are also very popular."

金华市东阳批发市场的一个姓卢的女商家正指着一款产品给客户介绍，"今年的主要产品是印有汉字"福"（幸福）的贺卡和卷轴对联。印着猴子图案的金元宝也很受欢迎。"

Even foreign businesses are cashing in on the fervor, adding primates to imported watches, chocolates and charm bracelets found on e-commerce site Taobao.com

电商网站淘宝网数据显示，甚至外国的企业都想趁机大赚一把。进口的手表、巧克力和幸运手链上都新增了灵长类动物的元素。

Meanwhile, a trailer for the film "Monkey King 2" starring Hong Kong actor Louis Koo has just been released. The sequel to one of China's most successful domestic films will be released on the first day of Spring Festival, Feb. 8.

同时，由香港演员古天乐主演的"西游记之孙悟空三打白骨精"预告片刚刚公布。作为中国最成功的影片之一的续集，它将于春节第一天，2月8日上映。

Enthusiasm for monkey products shows the Chinese people's excitement for the country's biggest holiday, which is generally celebrated with family reunions and is a time of happiness, courage and hope, said Wang Kaiyu, a researcher at the Anhui Academy of Social Sciences.

安徽省社科院研究员王开玉说，中国人对"猴"元素商品的极大热情，表达了人们对春节的兴奋和期待，这是一年中最大、最重要的节日，一家人通常会团聚庆祝这充满欢乐、勇气和希望的日子。

Zhou Hua, a kindergarten teacher from Hefei, has just finished embroidering a monkey for her daughter.

合肥市的一名幼儿园老师周华刚刚为女儿制作了一幅猴子图案的刺绣。

"My daughter was born in the Year of the Monkey, and this is my gift for her for the lunar year," Zhou said. "I hope she will be as happy and lively as a monkey."

周华说，"我的女儿属猴，这是我给她准备的春节礼物，希望她能像猴子一样快乐、活泼。"