Marc Gattano, French language teacher at Renmin University, France 

Share the Special Moment Together  

Last year, a lot people did not go back to their hometowns during the Spring Festival holiday due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so many people stayed put in Beijing. In this case, I took the chance to invite some of my friends who were not able to go home over to my place. I know that Spring Festival is a very important traditional holiday for the Chinese and people should not be spending it alone. So I was so happy that my friends and I could share this special moment together. We ate, drank, and played card games. We had a really great time. 

I assume this year might be the same as last year. Those who do not have any plans for the holiday will get together. 

My resolutions this year are simple but difficult to achieve. I hope the pandemic will be over this year and I can return to France to visit my parents. I haven’t been back for two years. Other than that, I hope everything can go well for my health, life, and work. 

I am very glad that this year’s Winter Olympics is held in China. I will follow the various events on TV, although I do not ski. I hope China and France can claim a lot of gold medals, making it a good start to 2022. 

Terry Townshend, conservation expert, the United Kingdom 

Explore Outdoors to See Winter Birds 

During the last Spring Festival holiday, I went hiking in the mountains around Beijing. With travel restricted due to the pandemic, it was a good opportunity to spend more time in the capital and, in particular, the outdoors. Winter is a good time to see birdlife as there are no leaves on the trees and many species around — such as cranes, geese and buntings, all who come to Beijing to escape the Siberian winter. 

As travel is not a good idea again this year, I plan to do the same as last year and explore some of the outdoor areas around Beijing, in particular in Mentougou District. I love to take a winter picnic including a flask of hot soup, some bread and tea/coffee with me. In winter, it is possible to see vultures in the western mountains. These magnificent birds have a wingspan of around three meters and spend the winter in Beijing, migrating from breeding grounds in Mongolia and western China. 

My New Year’s Resolution is to improve my Chinese language skills!  

I have some friends that will be volunteering at the Winter Olympics and they will be very close to the action. I am simply looking forward to watching the events on TV, in particular the slalom skiing and the bobsleigh. I am hopeful that Team GB will win a medal or two! 

Yuliya Sharkun, college teacher, Ukraine 

Celebrate the Spring Festival as the Locals Do 

No matter how long one lives in China, during the Spring Festival season, they need to take time to experience Chinese New Year customs. Compared with the celebrations before the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration last year and this year are quite different, since people are encouraged to stay where they are and avoid big crowds and gatherings. 

Besides celebrating the festival by sending greeting messages and hongbao to friends, I’ll surely have delicious food and adorn the house with Spring Festival decorations like adorable images of the animal of the lunar Chinese year and the auspicious Chinese character 福 in various forms. Another must for me is watching the annual Spring Festival Gala on TV. I’ve watched all of them in previous years. About the gala, I, in particular, expect the funny cross-talk banter, xiangsheng in Chinese, and skits that cover the latest life-related issues in today’s China. Some skits reflect anti-epidemic episodes, some reflect the life of ordinary people, and some reflect family stories. They form a unique “cultural hard dish” on the theme of happiness. 

I am also looking forward to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. In 2008 I was a volunteer for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. I support the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Through sports, we can enhance understanding and friendship, and build a more peaceful world. The Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” reflects the importance of solidarity for all humankind to overcome hardships in difficult times. 

Elisabeth Beltran, CEO of Tayrona Beijing, Germany 

Relax and Meet up with Friends  

Throughout my 18 years of living in China, I have enjoyed various celebrations of Spring Festival. My husband and I like quiet environments, we enjoy the colorful display of fireworks in the sky, but are also thankful for the quietness when the morning comes. We have stayed in Beijing for the last several years during Spring Festival, because we enjoy relaxing by strolling around the parks, rivers, and avenues with fewer crowds after most people leave the city for the holidays. 

During the festival holiday, we often meet up with friends, mostly foreign students, and invite them to our home, where we enjoy making dumplings and playing games together. Since we have been in China for many years, we also like to explain some of the many Chinese customs during the season to friends who are new to China. 

On Chinese New Year’s Eve, my husband and I will follow the traditions of our Chinese friends of staying up to watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV, but we like to paint pictures while we watch the program. Over the years, we have created several paintings which now decorate our living room walls. 

This year’s Spring Festival will coincide with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Even though the atmosphere is not as festive as it would be without COVID-19 and we will only be able to see the performances of athletes on TV instead of in person, we wish the athletes well and are sure they will do their best.