The businesses in Changsha county, Changsha city, Hunan province, recorded steady growth during the seven-day Spring Festival, thanks to wide-spread use of mobile payment methods.

During the holiday, the retail sales of consumer goods increased by 10 percent over the same period last year. The catering industry also thrived during the holiday thanks to a number of promotion campaigns. The turnover in Qinhuang Shifu, a famous restaurant in Changsha county, increased by 47.3 percent compared to the same period in 2014.

Mobile payment has recently become increasingly popular among the public. According to Yao Xinzhong, a resident in Changsha county, he spent the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year with his family and mobile payment saved them time and money and also offered them enjoyment. Firstly, it saved him six yuan in taxi fare by using a WeChat red packet. Furthermore, he enjoyed a 40-percent discount at the Xiaoxiang Cinema with WeChat payment. Afterwards, he also paid for dinner at Pizza Hut via WeChat, which saved him 10 yuan ($1.62) per set meal.