BEIJING: At Jiangsu University’s Overseas Education College, Pakistani and other foreign students recently gathered for the school’s 2024 Spring Festival Party to commemorate the impending Year of the Dragon.
Making dumplings, cutting paper, writing Spring Festival couplets, and playing games like jianzi, a Chinese shuttlecock game, and selecting coin chocolates with chopsticks were among the activities offered at the event, according to China Daily.
Sonia Najam, a 29-year-old Pakistani PhD candidate studying human resource management, believes that every task has a unique meaning.
Making dumplings, for instance, symbolizes the cultural value of preparing and sharing meals with loved ones, signifying harmony and ties to the family. Chinese calligraphy, an age-old art form with profound cultural roots in China, and the value of well wishes are highlighted by writing Chinese characters on Spring Festival couplets.
“Being part of traditional activities and witnessing the local community’s excitement has allowed me to understand the importance of family, togetherness, and the cultural nuances of this festive season,” she stated.
Family is highly valued in both Pakistani and Chinese cultures, but Najam claimed that the particular rituals and traditions connected to Spring Festival set Chinese celebrations apart in a way she had never seen before.
“I believe that each element contributes to the diverse tapestry of Chinese heritage and offers insights into the country’s history and values,” she stated.
The Chinese emphasis on family is something that Andre M. Vaca Lucero, an Ecuadorian PhD student studying management, also finds appealing. She arrived in China for the first time in 2009, finished her master’s program in the Shaanxi province of Northwest China, and made the decision to come back in 2022—this time as a married mother of a 5-year-old kid.
Lucero observed that the devotion of family was shared by Latin and Chinese cultures.
She thinks that the importance that cultures place on family relationships can help to build international relations.
When Fathiya Mohamed Said, a 24-year-old Tanzanian medical student, first arrived in China in 2018, she was already familiar with the Spring Festival festivities. She always participated in Spring Festival activities with her Chinese friends during that time, such preparing dumplings.
However, this occasion was distinct. She emphasized the harmony and tolerance for cultural differences that these events promoted as she said, “I was able to participate alongside my fellow educators and students from varied cultural backgrounds.” “What stood out to me was the enthusiasm of the international students to learn about Chinese culture and the joy and engagement we all had, as if it was a part of our own cultures.”
Said participated in the festivities’ lucky draw. She chuckled, “Luck was really on my side.” “I won a beautiful keychain and I’m looking forward to using it as my key holder this year.”
She pointed out that these activities have promoted empathy and respect for other cultures as well as a deep appreciation of the diversity in the globe.
“It serves as a platform for exchanging stories, sharing experiences, and creating enduring memories together,” she stated.
