Feature: Shared joy of Spring Festival resonates with expats across China

Kirana Vesarachkitti (L) and Gao Nicha from Thailand pose for photos during a Chinese New Year event at the Feng Jicai Museum at Tianjin University, north China's Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 10, 2026. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- As the Chinese New Year festivities reach their peak, expats across China have joined the celebrations, not merely as spectators, but as active participants in what has become a global cultural phenomenon.

At the Feng Jicai Museum at Tianjin University, in north China's Tianjin Municipality, dozens of international students found themselves immersed in the jubilant ambiance, surrounded by lanterns and traditional decorations.

For Pakistani student Muhammad Israr Ul Haq Naqeebi, the traditional New Year paintings on display revealed something profound. "These paintings do more than just decorate homes," he said. "They carry memories and good wishes."

Kirana Vesarachkitti from Thailand also perceived deep meanings. "The door god images embody the beautiful hopes of safeguarding the home, ensuring family harmony, and warding off evil to welcome good fortune," she observed.

After trying her hand at writing the Chinese character "Fu" (meaning good fortune), Indonesian student Jesslyn Beatrice Faustina said she was struck by "how ancient traditions coexist seamlessly with modern life."

Feng Jicai is a renowned Chinese writer and cultural scholar. The museum bearing his name houses abundant cultural relics and artworks. "We invited those who stayed on campus during the holiday to share in the Spring Festival, a cultural heritage passed down for thousands of years and shared by humanity," he said. "They are not just guests, but participants in this celebration."

In rural Jizhou, Tianjin, a time-honored fair drew Umar Suleimanov, a 26-year-old Tajik student from Nankai University. Squeezing through bustling stalls laden with festive goods, sampling local snacks and watching traditional dances, he said: "It's so lively! I've seen the vibrant, down-to-earth spirit of the Chinese New Year."

Meanwhile, aboard a train bound from Nanchang in east China's Jiangxi Province to Beijing, an entirely different celebration took place. Eight international students from different countries joined railway staff in a "train gala," dressed in Hanfu and carrying their hometown delicacies.

As ancient Chinese music filled the carriage, Aliia Iakupova from Russia stepped forward in Hanfu, greeting passengers with a traditional fist-and-palm salute. "This is my first Spring Festival in traditional Chinese clothing," she said. "It has given me a real sense of the Chinese concepts of 'traditional ritual' and 'year,' which is far more vivid than what I learned from books."

Lekouga Foula Jeannica Darlia, a student from Gabon, presented her hometown dish of cassava leaf stew. "For me, this dish is the taste of happiness, shared with family," she said. "I want to bring this flavor to my Chinese friends, so two cultures, thousands of miles apart, can come closer through our shared longing for reunion."

Later, Darlia sang the Chinese pop song "Across the Ocean to See You," a tune she had been practicing for over a month. "This song tells my own story," she explained. Having crossed an ocean to study in China, she now considers Nanchang her second home. "I feel the city's vitality and the kindness of the people."

In Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a multi-lingual transnational Spring Festival gala brought together young performers from countries including China, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Indonesia. The event featured lion dance, intricate paper-cuts, and vibrant Zhuang brocade crafts.

Indonesian student Yusuf Maulana Furdaus, who is studying image design in China, showcased some unique costume designs on stage. He incorporated some cool paper-cutting techniques he picked up in his free time. "Integrating traditional Chinese craftsmanship into stage costume design is a creative fusion of cross-cultural elements that can inject new vitality into cultural innovation," he said.

Brazilian martial arts enthusiast Gabriel joined the gala for the second time, performing Tai Chi with Guangxi athlete Tang Chenkun. Their flowing movements embodied both Tai Chi philosophy and the beauty of cross-cultural communication.

The global embrace of the Spring Festival reflects its growing international influence.

In late 2024, UNESCO inscribed "Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

"The shared pursuit of reunion, renewal and hope across different civilizations has made the Spring Festival a cross-cultural, transmissible and empathetic 'world language,'" said Wang Ruotong, a researcher with Tianjin Foreign Studies University. ■

Foreign students participate in a Chinese New Year event at the Feng Jicai Museum at Tianjin University, north China's Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 10, 2026. (Xinhua)

Umar Suleimanov, a 26-year-old Tajik student from Nankai University, records a vlog at a time-honored fair in Jizhou, north China's Tianjin Municipality, Feb. 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ran)