BEIJING — China's postal and courier industry saw steady growth during the Chinese New Year holiday, or the Spring Festival, the State Post Bureau said on Feb 7.

From Jan 31 to Feb 6, 749 million parcels were received and delivered by the country's postal and express companies, the data showed.

The figure marked a 16-percent increase from the same lunar new year period of the previous year.

During this period, the number of parcels received jumped 12.04 percent year-on-year to 420 million, while parcels delivered reached 329 million, up 21.6 percent from a year ago, the data showed.

The Chinese New Year, an important traditional festival, also marks the peak consumption season of the year. Express packages and online New Year greetings, which carry the most sincere wishes from relatives and friends, have become an important part of the festive celebration, according to the bureau.