Hongbao is a Mandarin name for a red money envelope associated with gift giving.
A documented New Year example#
The British Museum records an envelope used at Chinese New Year in London in 2014. Its printed design includes Shoulao, a peach, a deer, bats and clouds on a red background.
Questions before giving one#
Ask the recipient or a trusted host whether a gift is appropriate for the occasion. If giving money, decide an amount you are comfortable with rather than treating a website’s invented national tariff as etiquette. In a professional setting, check the organization’s own gift policy.
Scope#
The collection record is evidence for a particular object and use. It does not establish a mandatory amount, a practice followed by every family or a legal rule about workplace gifts.