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Overseas students in China have spent some quality time during Spring
Festival, experiencing typical Chinese celebrations with teachers and
classmates eager to make those away from their families feel at home. Holding a calligraphy brush in his right hand, Mutakala Siakalima
learned to write the Chinese character fu, which means good fortune, on a
square of red paper by imitating a teacher's movements stroke by
stroke. Siakalima, a 19-year-old Zambian sophomore at Hebei University of
Science and Technology in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, experienced his
first Spring Festival in China this year. "I'm very excited to try some traditional customs like writing fu,
making dumplings, hanging red lanterns and pasting new couplets," he
said. After finishing writing, he pasted his fu on the door of his
dormitory. "Although it's not as beautiful as my teacher's, it bears all
my wishes for the new year," he said. Jordan Mandujano, from Texas in the United States, has also immersed
himself in the festive atmosphere this year. A student at Fudan
University in Shanghai, he said he had not experienced it last year due
to the tough times caused by COVID-19. This year's Spring Festival has also been an unusual one for many
people in China because they have been advised to stay put instead of
returning to their hometowns to reduce the risk of novel coronavirus
infections during travel. The Ministry of Commerce said on Feb 10 that compared with last year,
about 48 million more people in 36 major cities had canceled trips back
home and chosen to spend the Spring Festival holiday where they work or
study. For many foreign students, the celebrations have provided more opportunities to interact with their Chinese friends. "I gathered with friends and classmates for a nice dinner, and
learned about the holiday customs," Mandujano said. The 26-year-old is
pursuing a master's degree in ancient Chinese philosophy and culture. He also roamed the city taking photographs of people's daily lives, which is one of his favorite hobbies. William Morgan, a postgraduate student from the United Kingdom who
attends University of Nottingham Ningbo China in Ningbo, Zhejiang
province, said he found Chinese hongbao－red envelopes－the most
attractive custom. "I know about the custom of giving out hongbao with cash inside
during the festival," Morgan said as he picked up a pack of hongbao with
his favorite design at a supermarket. He had a full schedule for Spring Festival: taking boxing classes,
going to the university library and taking online Chinese courses. After 14 years in China, Mohamed Noureldin from Egypt has grown more familiar with festival customs. Now part of a visiting scholar program at the University of Science
and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui province, he said that at first
he used to return to Egypt during the Spring Festival holiday "because
we don't celebrate the festival". But about six years ago, he decided to stay for the event. "I found
it's a very big celebration and a good chance to learn more about
Chinese culture and people," he said. Like a Chinese person, he now starts to prepare for the festival a
week beforehand, visiting friends and preparing for celebratory routines
like buying ornaments. He said he felt a little homesick this holiday, with Spring Festival considered the most important time for family reunions. "But my parents told me not to go home because the COVID-19 situation
back there is not so safe as China," he said. "I have many wishes for
the new year, but most importantly, I hope everyone will be safe from
the virus." Maulen Mears, a 24-year-old from Kazakhstan who has been living in
Xi'an, Shaanxi province, for a year and a half, said he planned to spend
most of his time in his apartment, cooking and learning Chinese. "I sometimes write some of my own thoughts in Chinese and hand them
over to my Chinese friends for review," Mears said. "Their feedback
gives me confidence."
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