Society

Snapshot of foreigners in China's Lunar New Year

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-05 16:18

SHANGHAI -- "Why do the Chinese people hang up red-lanterns on gates? And why is the Chinese lunar New Year always named after an animal?" US youngster Aaron Dewoskin enjoyed the holiday, but felt puzzled.

Living in Shanghai for four years, Aaron was still curious to trace the special taste and traditional customs of the Chinese lunar New Year, starting Feb 3 this year.

"The Chinese people are so creative to make electronic firecrackers with vivid sound but no fire of flame," Aaron said, adding that he would show his new discovery to his friends in the US.

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Enjoying the fun of making dumplings, strolling through the temple fairs and sticking red paper cuts onto the windows, foreigners found more fun in the Chinese lunar New Year, the most important Chinese holiday for family reunions, gifts giving and igniting firecrackers.

French artist Pascal Esabia rented a courtyard home in Mao'er Hutong in Beijing. She was busy preparing for a special art party with Chinese and French friends on Monday evening.

"In the minds of the French people, Dec 31 is the last day of a year. While in China, the lunar New Year's traditional customs show me why it is the starting point of a new year," she said.

To her, various kinds of customs involving the Chinese lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, are combined with Chinese wisdom. "We are trying to become involved in it and learn more from that for a better understanding between peoples of the two nations," she said.

During her party, Chinese and foreign artists would make dumplings with fillings both for Chinese and western tastes. They would also create paper-cut outs for window decorations in various styles.

"I appreciate the traditional Chinese dress," said a woman who identified herself as Kenza from Pakistan. She was sporting a purple cheongsam -- a traditional close-fitting dress with high neck and slit skirt -- to attend a party in Shanghai.

"As people in China have the tradition to wear festive costumes during the Spring Festival, I decided to stick to wearing my purple cheongsam for the first several days of the Chinese lunar New Year."

In the Spring Festival, more and more foreigners are deeply involved in folk-customs. "It is a great chance to introduce Chinese culture to the outside world," said Gao Jun, deputy director of the tourism department of Shanghai Normal University.

Taking her "Spring Festival note", Syvia from Germany made a great effort to learn the customs of the Chinese holiday before her trip to China.

In a shop near Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, she placed orders for three sets of scrolls with antithetical couplets written on them, plus two extra scrolls of calligraphy. She told the seller to have her mother's name in Chinese on one of the works.

In China, posting antithetical couplets written on red scrolls is a time-honored symbol of auspice.

"It is the gifts from China with best wishes for the new year and a Chinese story behind it. I would like to send them as tokens of a mysterious oriental culture to my family and friends," she said.