Many people write in to ask me about traveling over Chinese New Year. I usually try to discourage it unless you're sticking to one area or traveling mostly by air. Train and buses - the cheaper modes of transport - get crowded and fully booked over the holidays.

This year Chinese authorities are very concerned about the enormous numbers of people traveling and the dearth of tickets. There simply isn't enough capacity to handle all the people, especially migrant workers and students, who travel back to their home villages and cities over the holidays. Folks have been standing in line outside in the cold for hours and hours trying to buy train tickets in the recent days in Shanghai.

Just how many people travel by rail in China over the holidays? Tell me what you think:

Source: Shanghai Daily, Friday, January 1, 2009.

While Western kids dream about what Santa will bring them, as Chinese New Year approaches, Chinese kids will be getting their piggie banks ready to receive hong bao. Literally "red envelope", Chinese adults will give children these little red packets stuffed with money. How much is in them relates to who is giving, but the number will always be even (odd numbers are unlucky) and best end with an 8.

A traditional new year greeting goes “Gong Xi Fa Cai Hong Bao Na Lai” (pronounced gong she fah tsai hong bow nah lie). This means “I wish you a good new year with lots of money.”

In addition to the great shops that are popping up on Taikang Road, one of my favorites from the Fuxing Road area, Platane, has just opened a second outlet that must be quadruple the size of its tiny, but lovely, original site. Stop into their two-floor shop at #156 Taikang Road.

The duo that run Platane stock it with beautiful soft furnishings and gifts that are mostly exclusive to the store (at least on the Shanghai shopping scene). Many of the pieces have just the right touch of Chinoiserie that will accent any home - be it in Asia or not.

After you’ve loaded up in Platane, head to lane 210 and wander the alleys off Taikang Road. Be sure to stop into Nest, another of my favorites, (enter lane 210 and find the International Artist Factory on your right, Nest is on the second floor) where their manifesto is “design with a conscience”. Then stop off for coffee at Kommune across the way.

For a complete walking tour of the area, read Shaoxing Road to Taikang Road - A French Concession Walking Tour in Shanghai.

For years I was maddened (in the crazy, not angry, way) by the Chinese character hung upside-down on all my neighbors’ doors and on practically every shop doorway. What did it mean? I would inevitably ask and be giggled at or be told, but not understand the answer. Finally after several long years, my Chinese got good enough (more likely, someone explained it to me slowly enough) and I now understand. It's actually quite clever and I'm happy to share it with you.

So why IS that character hung upside-down and just what does it mean? Read on…

Photo: © 2007 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com, Inc. An upside-down “fu” on a doorway in Shanghai.