Chinese tourists to embark on luxury shopping spree to celebrate new year.

(From Guardian Unlimited)

Oxford Street is anticipating a shopping spree from Asia today as Chinese tourists celebrate the lunar new year by snapping up luxury brands.

Although the Chinese new year is traditionally a time for families to gather at home, a burgeoning middle class has the money and inclination to travel. Increasingly, the wealthy are using the holiday to get away, and Chinese tourist numbers are set to double by 2014. In London, Chinese tourists make a beeline for the high-end shops.

Wang Yanming, a Beijing publisher, is typical of the affluent visitors arriving in the UK. "I have always wanted to go to the UK. It is a beautiful country with …