Expats mark Spring Festival the traditional way

Spring Festival traditions in China have changed over the years, with some sticking to the old ways of marking the holiday, and many embracing new ways of celebrating.

For the country's expat community, the festival is simply a chance to rest and unwind, with most knowing little about the customs and history of China's most important festival.

But this year, one lucky group of foreigners got to experience what Spring Festival is really all about, visiting the city's Boston International School and spending time with students on Jan 16, as part of a Discover WND event.

Participants pose for a group photo at Boston International School in Wuxi on Jan 16. [Photo by Gu Qianwen/chinadaily.com.cn]

The group arrived at the school ready for an exciting day of learning how to make paper cuttings, sugar figurines, and spring couplets –– all New Year traditions, with experts on hand to guide them.

Ru Xiankang, a paper cutting expert, talked the group through the delicate process of cutting their own designs, patiently helping those struggling and ensuring everyone was able to show off something at the end of the process.

Ru Xiankang helps an expat complete a paper cutting. [Photo by Gu Qianwen/chinadaily.com.cn]

The group also benefited from the expertise of Wu Xiaoqun, an expert craftsperson skilled at blowing sugar figurines. She demonstrated making the different shapes of the zodiac animals using melted malt sugar, with the students excitedly telling her their zodiac signs.