My Chinese New Year experience

Updated: 2015-03-11 16:12

[Photo/People.cn]

By Kong Yi (孔毅)

My Chinese New Year experience didn’t begin on the Eve of eating dumplings, seeing the CCTV Chinese Spring Festival Gala or witnessing the fire-works that shook the earth’s foundations. It started from the moment one of my Chinese teachers named Emily stretched out a hand of invitation for me to join her family in celebrating the New Year.

I am Iyayi Emmanuel, a Nigerian studying Chinese language at the Beijing Institute of Technology on a Confucius Institute Scholarship. My real pursuit for Chinese language mastery began with my first class on the 6th of June, 2013 at the Confucius Institute, University of Lagos, Nigeria. I had the ambition of attaining top proficiency of Mandarin Chinese and obtaining a clear understanding of the Chinese culture by first-hand experience. Coming to study in China, I thought was already sufficient, but when I got the Spring Festival invitation, I felt like the most fortunate man on the planet!

After I taught English as a volunteer to primary school students in Tongren County, Qinghai Province for three weeks, it was already a 7-day countdown to the Spring Festival or the Chinese New Year. This time is important in the Chinese Culture and Tradition as I found out and is known as shao nian, meaning Little Year. I was surfing the net in my room in Tongren when I suddenly heard a strange disturbing noise outside that lasted forever. I first got apprehensive and asked my colleagues curiously what the hell was going on. I was later relieved and got excited to know it was the noise of fire crackers lit by the kids in the neighbourhood. By this time, the sound was no more noise to me, it became music!

I soon left for Xi’an. The atmosphere had spring festival scents in the air, Xi’an indigenes who live or work in other parts of China were making their ways back to get together once more with their families and friends, non-indigenes were leaving Xi’an for their hometowns, foreigners also made their mark as they trooped in to enjoy the sight of an city that endured as capital of old China for thirteen significant dynasties.

I got to meet my Mexican classmate, Francesco, who was also invited by Emily. After two nights in Xi’an for me, we got on a Yan’an bound train. My fluent Chinese, skin colour and humour made me a kind of star wherever I went, I snapped photos with many new friends, mostly Chinese.

We got to Yan’an and our Korean friend Hanmei arrived a day later. Emily was so nice as usual. Her family was so warm and welcoming. Her parents’ Mandarin was good, especially her dad’s, so communication was smooth. The three of us each had gifts for Emily. Her family took charge of our feeding and accommodation and taught us how to play Mahjong which I find interesting. The bulk of our time was spent visiting Emily’s friends (and oh she’s got so many!).

The Chinese New Year Eve was a thrilling experience! We went shopping in the morning, and also bought some firecrackers and fire-works. We had a sumptuous supper that included jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) with one of Emily’s uncles’ nuclear family. We chatted, sang, ate, drank and exchanged New Year wishes, which is an integral part of the festival. Afterwards we hurried back home for the CCTV Spring festival gala which I had been waiting for! The show was fantastic, I was glued to the T.V throughout the show and my favourite is the “Silk Road Dance”, I found the dancers depicting Russia thrilling. The show got me into deeper appreciation of the originality, vastness and peculiarity of the enduring 5,000-year Chinese culture and history.

As soon as the curtain was drawn on the show, the whole China was let loose! It was like World war! Sound of fire crackers and fire-works everywhere, just like missiles and bombs. It was wonderful, we were crying at the top of our voices; “xin nian kuaile!!!” (Happy New Year)

Our stay in Yan’an got me to know that Yan’an was not just a city but played a key role in the establishment of the P.R.C. Yan’an is the destination of the Long March from Jiangxi that eventually resulted in the birth of a brand new China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. We visited Chairman Mao’s old residence, the Pagoda Mountain and a museum that houses relics of the war. Since I got back to Beijing, I have been watching a T.V series on the biography of Mao Zedong. To say I find it inspiring is an understatement.

My Chinese New Year experience has deposited in me more motivation to speak perfect Mandarin and understand the nation China!