A Spring Festival tradition is to give red envelopes stuffed with money to their relatives. But with the massive use of mobile payment services in China, the custom has been changing from hard cash to virtual money. CGTN's Grace Shao has more.

Giving red envelopes has been a Spring Festival tradition for centuries. It is a way for older generations to pass on good luck and fortune to the younger generations. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is also a symbol to ward off evil spirits. Today, the Chinese tradition has evolved again.

SHI YAN MOTHER OF DING DING "Chinese New Year is about getting together once a year to feast and share happiness with each other. When we were young we would receive red paper envelopes and light fireworks. But today a lot of things are digital, whether it is animated fireworks or virtual red packets through payment systems. We often now sit around as a family and compete who's faster at collecting red envelopes sent into our extended family chat that has almost 20 people in it."

Ding Ding's mother says to be honest, it's not about the money. Digital red envelopes allow us to connect with each other and interact with each other through a fun game, and especially with the ones who are physically apart. Grace Shao, CGTN, Shanghai.