Chinese diaspora in Ukraine preserve and share Spring Festival traditions

KIEV, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- "When the brilliant moonlight is shining upon, we share the same happy festival mood despite being far apart," Peng Wei, a 24-year-old Chinese teacher, is becoming sentimental when talking about the Spring Festival celebrations.

Peng, a Chinese-language teacher from Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, moved to Ukraine almost five months ago to provide Mandarin courses for Ukrainian students at the Confucius Institute of the Kiev National Taras Shevchenko University.

Recalling the Spring Festival traditions of her family, Peng said that all family members usually gather together making Chinese dumplings.

"One dumpling is always filled with brown sugar. We believe that someone who gets this dumpling will be happy next year," Peng told Xinhua.

The young lady admitted that her homesickness becomes stronger during the Lunar New Year, but the joint celebrations with Chinese friends help her feel the magic of the holiday.

Besides, in Kiev, Peng shares Chinese Spring Festival traditions with her Ukrainian friends and learns Ukrainian customs of New Year celebrations.

"I really like a Ukrainian tradition of New Year wishes. People write down their wish on the piece of paper and when the president makes a New Year speech, they burn it, put the ashes in their champagne and drink it," Peng said.

Peng is the guest of the Spring Festival organized by the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine to keep the Lunar New Year traditions and enhance the cohesion of Chinese nationals living in the East European country.

At the event, Chinese people living in the different corners of Ukraine showed their talents during the concert.

Children recited poems and sang songs, while youngsters played saxophone and performed the traditional dance with pipa -- four-stringed lute.

Du Shaofu, a real estate employee, who lives in Ukraine for eight years, looked fascinated while watching the concert.

In a brief talk with Xinhua correspondent, Du said the traditional music and the festive atmosphere of the event have brought him home.

"I like to spend the Spring Festival at home because the whole family reunites. Ukraine is far from home. You can only show video or call each other and watch the traditional New Year's concert," Du said.

He is married to a Ukrainian woman for two years and they have a one-year-old child. The couple appreciates and respects each other traditions and celebrates every Chinese and Ukrainian holiday.

Du said he was very glad that this year his wife expressed a desire to spend the Lunar New Year with her parents-in-law.

"Tomorrow morning, our family of three is flying to China," Du said with the authentic feeling of happiness on his face.

Wang Zhijie, a businessman from Beijing, also has Ukrainian wife. Unfortunately, this year, the family is unable to celebrate the Spring Festival in China as their newborn baby is too small to travel long distances.

However, Wang said he will bring Chinese festive spirit to Ukraine, decorating his home with red lanterns and inviting his friends and Ukrainian fellows to come to his house and show them Chinese New Year traditions.

"Ukrainians spend more time at home. The Chinese people like to set off fireworks. It is very important for us to sit together around the table at 12 o'clock, watching TV gala. The merry atmosphere is prevailing during the celebrations," Wang told Xinhua.

He added that he will do his utmost to share the centuries-old New Year traditions of his country with his son when he gets older.