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| The malls all decked up for CNY |
This year we stayed in Beijing for the long holiday week.
This is the time of the year most migrants and locals travel back to their
hometown to bring in the New year with their families. Beijing is quiet and
roads are empty. It is the best time to be in Beijing provided the weather is
favorable. After the first few days of holidays of grey smoggy skies, we had the first proper snow of the winter followed by sunny but windy cold days.
We stuck to traditions and brought in this year the way the
Chinese do…
On New Year’s eve the whole city is lit up in fireworks to
ward off evil , and is a spectacle in itself. You don’t have to go too far to
enjoy the sight, just look out of the window. Along with having a large spread
for New year’s eve dinner, the families sit together to watch the CCTV Spring
gala.
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We couldn't resist joining the locals and bought some sparklers too..
Though dumplings are popular to be eaten throughout the year, during this time of the year they eat the "Inglot" shaped dumplings , because they believe it will bring them prosperity. We couldn't miss having our share.
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| Dumplings and Noodles eaten for fortune on New Year's day |
The ‘Miao hui’ or temple fairs in Beijing are a popular
attraction during this time. In the past years we’ve been to the Donyue Temple
fair and the Ditan Temple fair, so this time we went for the Chaoyang Park
International Spring Fair which had stalls of different countries selling food
and artifacts. There was also plenty of Old Beijing snacks and Games to play as
at other fairs held in the city.
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| Dart balloons |
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| Candied fruits |
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| The Chile stall |
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| Churros and ice cream |
On the 15th Day of the Lunar New year, they
usually eat sweet dumplings or ‘Tang yuan’ . We bought some from the super
market. There are many flavors now to keep up with the times but our favorite
is still the traditional black sesame paste ones.
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| Frozen Tang yuan available at all supermarkets |
If you are staying in Beijing during this time of the year,
don’t forget to stock up on grocery and on essentials, because almost the whole
city including the small convenience store next door is closed. Taxis are
minimal, but the public transport is quite convenient to use as it isn’t
crowded and operates the usual working times.
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| The empty Beijing subways during the holidays |
We’ve completed six years in Beijing this February. When we came we
didn’t know how long we’d stay or how life would be here. Looking back the past
six years have been so wonderful for us. Beijing has given us so much. Good
friends to cherish for a life time, our little one was “Made in China”, and of
course hard disks full of memories we've captured during our stay here. Looking
forward to many more…
Wishing you all a
very happy and prosperous New year. Xin Nian Kuai Le. Gong Xi Fa Cai!!
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