The arrival of the Year of the Snake has ignited a festive spirit across the Chinese mainland and the Taiwan region. Both sides of the Taiwan Straits are celebrating the most important festival on the Chinese calendar with traditional feasts, decorations, and cherished family reunions.
Cross-Straits Fireworks
One of the most anticipated events this Chinese New Year is the annual joint fireworks display by Xiamen and Kinmen, a tradition that has been celebrated since 1987. On the first day of the Spring Festival, nearly 50,000 fireworks were launched simultaneously from the beaches of Xiamen in Fujian Province and Kinmen, a small island just off the mainland.
The 30-minute display featured several themed sections that highlighted both the Spring Festival and the enduring ties across the straits. Hung Tzu-i, a resident of Taiwan's Chiayi County now living in Xiamen, shared her excitement: \"The sight of fireworks from both sides lighting up the night sky in perfect sync is breathtaking and deeply moving.\"
A Taiwan resident watching the display in Kinmen expressed his hopes for the tradition to continue, emphasizing the familial bond between people on both sides of the straits and the importance of cooperation for a better future.
Food and Family Reunions
The reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve is a cornerstone of the Spring Festival, symbolizing the unbreakable cultural and emotional bonds that have persisted through the ages. In Taiwan, this gathering is known as wei lu, where families come together around a warm brazier or a hot pot, embodying the warmth of home and the cherished tradition of togetherness.
Among the favorite dishes are hot pot, representing reunion; Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, signifying prosperity and longevity; and mullet roe, symbolizing abundant offspring. These dishes not only carry the flavors of home but also reflect the deep-rooted food culture shared by both sides of the straits.
Honoring Ancestors
Honoring ancestors is a significant aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Chuang Ling, a Taiwan-based photographer born on the Chinese mainland, shared how his family continues to uphold these traditions, including writing Spring Festival couplets, making dumplings, smoking meat, and lighting incense in front of their ancestral altar.
Chuang reminisced about his childhood in Baxian County, Sichuan Province, where his family engaged in these practices despite frugal circumstances. \"People around the world celebrate the New Year, but the Chinese New Year is different. It is a time for family reunions and the most representative traditional culture and folk custom of China,\" he said.
Reference(s):
Mainland, Taiwan share Chinese New Year traditions and celebrations
cgtn.com
