Singaporeans opt for e-hongbao

新加坡鼓励发电子红包

With Chinese New Year around the corner, the hongbao - or red packets - traditionally exchanged during this period are on the minds of many Singaporeans.

春节临近，许多新加坡人惦记着包红包，发红包是过年期间的一个传统。

While hongbao are usually given by hand, it has become common practice in China for relatives to send each other e-hongbao via messaging app WeChat.

虽然红包通常都是当面发，但在中国，亲戚之间通过通讯应用微信互发电子红包已成为普遍做法。

In a statement on Monday, the Monetary Authority of Singapore encouraged Singaporeans to opt for e-hongbao this Chinese New Year.

1月11日，新加坡金融管理局（金管局）发布声明，鼓励新加坡人今年春节发电子红包。

"They will help to reduce queues for physical notes and are more environmentally friendly," MAS said.

新加坡金管局表示，“这将有助于减少排队换新钞的现象，并且更加环保”。

One way to send e-hongbao is via PayNow.

发送电子红包的一种方式是通过使用电子转账服务PayNow。

Those who bank with Citibank, DBS Bank, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, UOB and Maybank will soon be able to add Chinese New Year greetings when they do so.

在花旗银行、星展银行、华侨银行、渣打银行、大华银行和马来西亚银行开户的用户，很快就可以在转账的同时附上春节祝福语。

Some Singaporeans prefer gifting new physical notes but these are often returned to the banks by the public after Chinese New Year anyway.

一些新加坡人更喜欢发崭新的纸钞，但无论如何，这些纸钞往往会在春节后被市民存回银行。

MAS estimates some 330 tons of carbon emissions are generated by the production of new notes each Chinese New Year.

新加坡金管局估计，每年春节因印制新钞而产生的碳排放量多达约330吨。