Apart from the days of the Chinese year coming to an end with the steady approach of the New Year, the days of the Chinese calendar are also coming to a close as future generations and technology is changing the dynamics of society.

This week brings with it a new year on the Chinese calendar. This also means that the tradition of the government releasing a new calendar filled with some propagandist ideas is also due.

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It is tradition in China to give colorful calendars that mark the dates of both lunar and Gregorian systems.

Apart from telling the dates though, this year, the government is releasing a calendar that also reminds people to go against extremist movements.

Specifically, the government wants people to turn away from the extremist situation in the far north western city or Urumqi, in the restive region where the Muslim minority Uighur population stays.

In Tibetan Garze prefecture, protesters have burned themselves to death. The official calendar though tells them to study the law.

The calendar released in the southern Guizhou province is reminded to follow China's "one child" policy.

The governments see calendars as way to preach what they think the people should know and take to heart.

However, the practice is slowly on the decline as more and more people are relying on their mobile phones to look at calendars.

With the onset of mobile phones and computers, it signifies the collapse of the sales of these calendars. One of the places hit hard are the stores on "Calendar Street;" an area that has a group of stores that specialize in selling calendars in south Beijing.

One store owner, 29-year old Rao Zhenbiao, says that buying calendars is a culture and a tradition. He feels bad that less people find interest in it, and all paper formats for that matter.

"I think city people live life too fast. I enjoy tearing away the paper of calendars each day or month. It's like a ritual."

TagsCalendars