Foreign Residents Take Part in Chinese New Year Activities

With dumplings in one hand and calligraphy brushes in the other, foreigners in Shanghai rang in the Chinese New Year the local way on February 1 as a lively Spring Festival carnival brought cultures together at the Half Marathon Suzhou Creek Station Party and Community Service Center.

Jointly organized by City News Service (CNS) and the Yichuan Road Subdistrict, the event welcomed more than 20 foreigners and their families from Russia, Spain, Canada, Germany, South Africa and Italy. The Chinese New Year falls on February 17 this year.

A little boy's traditional guzheng recital and a short Chinese opera showcase set the festive mood before guests began hands-on cultural activities.

Community volunteers guided participants in building colorful plastic lanterns around tables after the performances. Some concentrated silently while others laughed and shared tips as their lantern shapes formed.

Many participants were experiencing Chinese New Year for the first time. Spaniard Raquel Exposito often flew out of China during the holidays.

"I would like to experience Chinese New Year in China, but everything is super crowded," she said. "So it's really nice to be able to enjoy it a little bit before I run out of China again."

After 13 years in China, Russian resident Irina Smolyar admitted lantern-making was difficult.

"Not as easy as I thought, but it looks very cute. I will definitely hang it at my apartment," she said. "I think it's a great opportunity for foreigners who live in China to get to know Chinese culture better."

Wendy Soh from Singapore, who has lived in Shanghai for nine years, said the community-based setting made the event special. She was born in the Year of the Rabbit and got a rabbit paper-cutting artwork.

"That's wonderful. We can meet many other people, including locals," she said. "We feel that the Chinese New Year is coming soon."

After finishing the lanterns, the tables were cleared and ready for dumplings.

The tables had been neatly arranged with dumpling wrappers and bowls of fillings. Participants picked up the wrappers, learned how to spoon in the fillings, and carefully pinched the edges closed.

Moli, from Iran, said her first Spring Festival in China was special.

"It was really meaningful for us to see the whole environment. It was a great experience," Moli said. "We really like 'jiaozi' (Chinese dumplings), but we have not actually tried to make one, so it was really interesting for us."

"In our culture, we have something similar, called "Sambuse," but we put sweet things inside," she told CNS. "Or we put mixed meat with tomatoes and other ingredients inside."

Peter Mihalov, a teacher from Ukraine, said the simple activities made the event enjoyable.

"It's fun. It's like gathering with friends, doing some things, making food and doing some activities," he said. "At the same time, you can spend time with the Chinese people and exchange cultural experiences."

For Mana Mirshahi, who had arrived in Shanghai just a week earlier, the carnival offered a gentle introduction to local life.

"It was a good experience, and I enjoyed it," she said. "The Chinese culture, the environment, and everything were good."

From snapping plastic lantern pieces together to folding dumplings by hand, the carnival transformed traditional customs into relaxed, everyday moments, allowing international residents to experience the Spring Festival not as distant spectators, but as part of the local community.