But as a fast-expanding Chinese diaspora spreads across the globe, many will find it impossible to get home for the Year of the Rabbit starting on Thursday -- yet thanks to the Internet, a family reunion will still be possible.

"I will have a live video chat on QQ with my parents on the morning on New Year's Eve, Paris time," said Liu Shiqi, a Chinese economics student in the French capital who admits to the sharp tug of homesickness at this time.

Like tens of thousands of overseas Chinese students in France, Europe and the rest of the world, Liu won't be heading home for the holidays. Too far, too expensive.

So she's planning an online encounter with her family to ring in the Year of the Rabbit, the symbol of mercy, elegance and the worship of beauty.

Liu will not be alone. QQ, a Chinese version of Microsoft's MSN Messenger, last year notched up over 500 million active users.

Most of them are Chinese, and not just Internet-savvy youngsters. Parents have learned to use it too in order to stay in touch with their kids overseas.

The software is free and has a video function that can be activated with built-in or add-on cameras, essentially rendering expensive international phone calls obsolete.

Another option is the China-based social website Douban, which began as a site to review books.

Today Douban has over 48 million registered users, who consult and contribute to some 210,000 forums for people who share a hobby or live in the same city.

One forum, "Paris", is heavily used by Chinese expatriates living in the French capital. It has posted invitations to celebrate New Year's Eve on Wednesday at a Paris eatery called Sichuan Delicieux.

Facebook and Twitter are not easily accessible in mainland China, but homegrown entrepreneurs have developed equivalents.

On the front page of Renren ("Everybody"), a knockoff of Facebook, users can offer new good wishes for the new year or click through to a new application called "Rabbit Lady Party," an online that anyone with an account can play in realtime.

"I use Renren every day to post updates on how my life is going and check on my friends," Huang Xu, another student in Paris, told AFP. "I will keep in touch with them through Renren during the New Year."

SMS traffic also skyrockets during Chinese New Year. Last year, Chinese cellphone users fired off more than 18 billion messages during the holidays, according to the country's top three telecoms.

On New Year's Eve alone, Shanghai and Beijing each racked up 700 million missives.

For 2011, Sina.com microblog, a Chinese version of Twitter that has topped 50 million users, offers "red pocket money" -- a traditional gift envelope from parents to children -- for people who get relatives to sign on to the service on New Year's Day.

Instead of money, through, the prizes include a solid gold rabbit worth 5,000 yuan (550 euros, 758 dollars) and a mobile phone.

The Year of the Rabbit begins on February 3 and ends on January 22, 2012. The Rabbit is the fourth sign of 12 animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac.

People born in the Year of Rabbit are said to enjoy the company of friends. They are good teachers, counsellors and communicators, but also need their own space.

Famous western "rabbits" include: Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Johnny Depp, Edith Piaf, Carey Grant, George Orwell, Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Kate Winslet and Tina Turner.

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