Guangdong booked a CPI rise of 6.6 percent in January, mainly fuelled by the before-spring-festival shopping season and the abnormal cold weather.

The rise was 1 percent higher than Dec of 2007, in which the commodity price up 7.6 percent and the service price up 3.6 percent.

The food price, up 13.9 percent year on year, continued to stir up the CPI rise. Pork, main meat consumption for Guangdong local residents, saw price up by 47.9 percent over last year.

January was the month before spring festival, which spurred local residents’ consumption and also the inflation. Meanwhile, the winter severity cut the goods supply inflow from other province to Guangdong and helped fuelled local inflation, especially the price of port, vegetables, oil and gas.

The spring festival also spurred the rise of air and train ticket prices. The inter-city transportation price within Guangdong increased 12.4 percent. And as the end of every lunar year is the peak season for wedding, the retail sales of gold and other jewelries went up, and their price were up by 18.8 percent.

Besides, the house price increase continued, up 7.1 percent, and household service and after-sales service went up by 15.9 percent.

And some commodities, against the trend, saw price decrease. Garments, as the season sales started, saw a 0.7 percent price drop. And the liquid gas, under the national control, also saw a 0.7 percent price down.

Editor: Yan