People take photos of illuminated installations for the upcoming New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays in Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 29, 2020. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

As alarm clocks went off with the first rays of sunshine, and buses, subways returned to their crowded hectic rhythms that characterize the vigorous city life, Chinese people welcomed the first working day of 2021 by sharing inspirational songs, videos and articles all over social media that reflect their hopes, expectations, and a firmer eye on the future.

"I am set to become the best, and tomorrow is always too late; I know I can do it, just need to work harder, and never ever, ever, ever, give up" - these are some of the lyrics from an MV from the 1990s titled "I'm Really Not Bad at All." It features a woman dancing in an absurdly upbeat mental state while giving herself hugs and everyone else a thumbs-up. The video has gone viral, both amusing and inspiring netizens on this special day.

"Today marks the beginning of another year's fight, and the song has given me momentum for a fresh start," a netizen commented on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo on Monday. 

"Working people, working soul, working makes us more fulfilled," wrote another. 

The topic #first working day of 2021# has become a hit on Weibo, gaining 140 million views and 450,000 discussions as of press time, as people share their working status, mood, and thoughts on the platform, whether as teachers, company workers, or even panda trainers. 

Although some joked about being late for work or having to get up early and struggle through floods of people on public transport, it can be seen from their social media posts that Chinese people have had their faith restored in the new year after all the unimaginable hardships of 2020.

"The road ahead is long, and striving is the only way forward," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a New Year speech delivered Thursday evening in Beijing, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Global Times