Changsha Holds Digital Renminbi Lottery to Distribute 40 Million Yuan in Prize Money

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The Hunan province capital of Changsha has become the latest Chinese city to hold a lottery for the distribution of the Digital Renminbi as part of ongoing trials for its retail usage.

The “Digital Renminbi – A Fortunate New Changsha” (数字人民币 幸福新长沙) campaign officially kicked off on Saturday 22 May, and is slated to run for another three days before concluding on 25 May.

The campaign will see the Changsha government issue 40 million yuan in Digital Renminbi “red packets” (the traditional Chinese gift-giving envelope) to local residents for consumption purposes via lottery.

The lottery will see the issuance of 300,000 red packets, including 200,000 packets each containing 100 yuan in Digital Renminbi, and another 100,000 packets containing 200 yuan in prize money.

The Digital Renminbi contained in the red packets can be used for consumer purchases at selected retailers within Changsha, as well as at other Digital Renminbi pilot areas within China, during the period from 31 May to 15 June.

Local authorities said that the lottery was a standard testing activity held as part of the ongoing development of the Digital Renminbi, and did not mark its official release on the market.