The 2013 global “Happy Chinese New Year” online quiz and essay contest is in full swing. It will continue until the end of April.

Special prize winners will be offered a trip to China, giving them the opportunity to explore the colorful culture of China's different regions. Other prizes include a brocade scroll painting, a paper-cut album, and a silk scarf.

To date hundreds of participants from countries such as America, Britain, Canada, Spain, India, and China have taken part in the online contest. Contestants span not only continents, but occupations as well. Participants come in the form of professors, writers, musicians, doctors, and lawyers to name just a few.

The activity is sponsored by the Bureau for External Cultural Relations in the Chinese Ministry of Culture, and is available on Chinaculture.org. As an important part of the “Happy Chinese New Year” branding initiative being undertaken by the Ministry of Culture, it will be the most authoritative online interactive activity about the Chinese Spring Festival in 2013.

The online competition consists of two parts, an online quiz and an essay contest. Participants can take part in the online quiz or essay contest, or both.

The online quiz is presented in English and Spanish. It is about the Chinese Spring Festival and contains 30 multiple-choice questions, with points attributed differently over three sections. A perfect score is 100 points. Participants cannot submit their quiz until they have completed all the questions. After clicking “submit”, the answers cannot be changed. The top 100 scorers will receive prizes. If more than 100 people get the perfect score, there will be a drawing.

Participants in the essay contest may write their submission in any language they choose (send to contest@chinadaily.com.cn). There are two topics to choose from: 1. Me and Chinese Spring Festival; 2. A Personal Story about Chinese Culture. Essays should be based on personal experiences and previously unpublished material only. Pictures and opinion are welcome in the story. 20 winners and more participation award winners will be selected from the essay contest.

The results will be announced in late May 2013 on Chinaculture.org, and prizes will be sent to the winners.

This competition has been effectively promoted through various channels, such as China Daily Group, iPhone applications, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, mainstream English websites about China, foreign embassies in China, and Chinese embassies in foreign countries.

http://www.chinaculture.org/focus/node_50008959.htm (English version)

http://www.chinaculture.org/focus/node_50008959.htm (Spanish version)