In accordance with the official recommendations to "stay put" for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, many Chinese people are spending the holiday where they are instead of heading back to their hometowns. Meanwhile, semi-finished food products are gaining in popularity across the country as the New Year's Eve draws near, offering an alternative for gathering and dining in restaurants.

According to Meituan, one of China's largest food delivery firms, online searches for "New Year's Eve dinner" on its platform have seen a nearly tenfold increase compared to previous years.

Online food delivery platforms, including Meituan and Ele.me, are working with restaurants and supermarkets to launch prepackaged or semi-prepared meals for the holiday. Especially for younger generations who stay in the first- or second-tier cities where they work, they are able to celebrate the traditional festival with a feast that is quite easy to make. 

Vendors are also targeting different groups of people by providing customized meals, such as single-person dinner packages, and reunion dinner packages for families, covering a wide range of dishes.

This year's Spring Festival travel rush kicked off on Thursday. Traditionally, it's the time of the year when hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel home. However, to combat a recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in some parts of China, the country is encouraging people to avoid travel during the holiday season.

Read more: Stinky Luosifen: The most popular snack for a stay-at-home Spring Festival