The Spring Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, is no longer limited to the land of China. It is like a quiet traveler, bringing the red festival and the warmth of reunion to many corners of the world.

From Asia to Southeast Asia, and even across the oceans, countries are welcoming this Chinese Year in their own ways. This is no accident, but the power of culture is quietly brewing.

On the second day of the New Year, Shaanxi Foreigners Service Platform will take you into the Spring Festival memories of nine countries around the world with a story, and feel those connected with China.

Vietnam: Red heritage

Vietnam's Tet festival is a story that is both familiar and unfamiliar.

Familiar because many of its customs are almost identical to those of China; Strange, because it has its own taste of Vietnam.

In Vietnam, the Spring Festival is not only a festival, but also a symbol of cultural identity.

In the early years, a large number of Chinese immigrants brought the tradition of the Spring Festival to the land, and gradually, the Vietnamese began to wear new clothes, put up New Year couplets, and gather for family feasts.

On a table for the reunion dinner, there are both Vietnamese spring rolls and dumplings with Chinese flavor. The tradition of red envelopes is also continued, but the Vietnamese red envelope style is much more simple, they pay more attention to the mind, rather than the appearance of the gorgeous.

During the Spring Festival, Vietnamese people like to wrap a kind of food called "Zongjiao", which is glutinous rice, mung beans and pork wrapped in banana leaves, symbolizing reunion and harvest. In the lively market, red Spring couplets and zodiac decorations can be seen everywhere, which makes people forget the national border in an instant.

South Korea: A kneeling tribute

If the Vietnamese Spring Festival is a continuation of tradition, then the Korean Spring Festival is an extension of etiquette.

South Koreans call the Spring Festival "Old Jong" and it is one of their most important traditional holidays.

On the first day of the first month, Koreans will change into elaborate Hanbok and return to their hometowns with specially prepared gifts.

Korean families pay special attention to the status of the elders, and young people must not only pay New Year's greetings to the elders, but also must kneel. This etiquette is so strict that even the posture of men and women is different.

In terms of food, Koreans will eat a bowl of rice cake soup on the morning of the New Year.

The white color of the rice cake symbolizes purity, and the warmth of the soup symbolizes reunion.

After a bowl of food, it means "one year older". On this day, families will also be filled with traditional food, such as sauce crab and Korean pancakes, different families can always eat different tastes on the table.

Japan: Prayers in the bell

Although the Spring Festival in Japan is not as grand as that in China, it has a different sense of ceremony. They call the Spring Festival "January", and the most distinctive feature is the 108 bells that ring on New Year's Eve. These 108 sounds symbolize washing away the troubles of the year and welcoming the hope of the New Year.

The Japanese prepare for the Spring Festival with a sense of ritual.

The elaborate "Ojai cuisine" is their holiday standard, these food in exquisite lacquer boxes not only pay attention to taste, but also pay attention to color matching.

They also wear traditional kimonos and go to a shrine to pray for good luck. Regardless of age, everyone looks pious and prays for peace and prosperity in the coming year.

Thailand: Fireworks and temple symphony

Chinese New Year in Thailand is a mixture of excitement and piety.

As one of the countries with the largest concentration of Chinese, Thailand's Spring Festival atmosphere is almost comparable to that of China.

Every Spring Festival in Thailand, the streets are decorated with lights, temples are full of incense, and even the government arranges fireworks displays for the festival.

Similar to China, Thai people also worship their ancestors and paste couplets during the Spring Festival. Most particularly, many Thai families will start preparing lucky bags a few days before the Spring Festival, filled with incense and small gifts, to pray for good luck in the coming year. This pious and lively atmosphere, as if people into a South Asian version of the "Chinese New Year".

Philippines: One day national holiday

The Spring Festival in the Philippines is not long, but it is very thoughtful. In 2012, the Philippines officially declared the Spring Festival as a national holiday, which is celebrated with work stoppage, street lighting and artists putting on spectacular performances.

Filipino children's red envelopes do not come out of thin air, they need to help the family decorate the Spring Festival decoration or help prepare the New Year's Eve dinner, in order to have a chance to win the reward of the elders. This kind of red envelope culture of "getting something from work" is a bright sight.

Indonesia: Fishing for the New Year

The Indonesian Spring Festival has a special ritual -- fishing for fish.

It is a dish composed of raw fish and various ingredients, symbolizing the "surplus year after year".

People will sit around the table and hold the fillets high, symbolizing the New Year's ascension. This unique custom not only reflects the local food culture, but also integrates into the Chinese Spring Festival tradition.

Malaysia: Fireworks up all night

Malaysian Spring Festival can be summed up with the word "lively".

Whether it is the red lanterns in the community, or the dazzling New Year goods in the supermarket, people feel the thick flavor of the New Year.

Fireworks are allowed in Malaysia, so every New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers and fireworks mix into a sleepless carnival. Dragon and lion dance performances in the streets and alleys also made the atmosphere of the Spring Festival reach its peak.

Singapore: Blessing in an orange

In Singapore, the key word for Chinese New Year is "orange". Every New Year, people will hand pairs of oranges, meaning "good things come in pairs". And the host family will also give oranges to show the return of courtesy.

Singapore also has a unique tradition - plug incense.

On New Year's Eve, believers rush to insert the first incense stick into the temple, believing it will bring good luck for the New Year. This tradition not only reflects Singaporeans' love for Chinese New Year, but also shows their dedication to traditional culture.

The story of the Spring Festival is not only the story of China. With the hope of red happiness and reunion, it has crossed the cultural gap and regional distance and become a global festival symbol. Some people say that this is a kind of "soft power" of Chinese culture, but at a deeper level, it is an emotional resonance. The taste of the New Year knows no borders, because it bears the common yearning for happiness of mankind.

Mongolia: Carnival of horse races and bonfires

In Mongolia, the Spring Festival is not only a day of reunion, but also a show of pride of the children of the grassland. On the day of the Spring Festival, Mongolians will hold grand horse racing activities, and every family will sit around the campfire singing and dancing to welcome the arrival of the New Year.

The Mongolian Reunion dinner is the highlight of the whole Chinese New Year, and they prepare rich mutton, dairy products and handmade pasta. The Mongolian Spring Festival is less delicate and more rough and warm, but the expectation for the New Year is the same.

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