Page 20 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (108)

19 SOUTHERN MESSENGERS

“I enjoy Chinese New Year in Nepal”

“我在尼泊尔过春节”

By Xia Chenchen □ 夏晨晨 / 文

Nepal is a country with extremely profound unique charm of the Chinese Spring Festival.
and richly diverse cultural heritage. The religious Our hospital was no exception. To welcome the
beliefs here present a scene of blooming diversi- Spring Festival, all the medical staff worked to-
ty. The majority of the population adheres to the gether to decorate every corner of the hospital with
time-honored Hinduism and Buddhism. Temples great care. In the lobby, auspicious Chinese knots
dot the streets and alleys, and the melodious chant- were hung high. Their bright red color and exqui-
ing of scriptures often lingers in the air. In recent site weaving craftsmanship complement each other,
years, the number of Christian believers has also attracting every patient who came for treatment
been gradually increasing, injecting new vitality to stop and admire. On both sides of the entrance,
into this ancient land. In addition, there is a Muslim neatly posted couplets with antithetical phrases and
community that lives in harmony on this land, pre- auspicious meanings were pasted, exuding the fra-
serving their unique beliefs and customs. grance of ink and conveying New Year’s blessings.
Precisely because of this, various religious In addition, we have placed some small Chi-
festivals are highly valued in Nepal. Whenever a nese-style ornaments, such as paper-cuttings and
festival arrives, people dress up in their finest attire, red lanterns, in each department, immersing the en-
singing and dancing in celebration. We actively par- tire hospital in a strong Spring Festival atmosphere.
ticipate as well, immersing ourselves in the unique During that period, wherever I went, I was warmly
charm of different cultures. Among these numerous stopped by Nepalese friends asking about the ar-
festivals, the Spring Festival, the most important rival of the New Year. Their eyes sparkled with
traditional festival in China, also holds a special curiosity and anticipation. I always responded with
place here. a smile and patience, “It’s coming soon. The end of
As the Spring Festival approaches, the streets this month!”
and alleys of Nepal are immediately enveloped Hearing my answer, some of them clapped
in a thick festive atmosphere. The air seems to be their hands in excitement, while others curiously
filled with the joy and celebration. Take this year inquired about various Spring Festival customs.
for example, a professional lion-dance troupe from Seeing their enthusiastic expressions, my heart was
Shenzhen showcased their extraordinary skills. filled with deep emotions. These seemingly simple
Accompanied by the rousing beats of gongs and questions not only drew me closer to my Nepalese
drums, their vivid lion-dance performances were friends but also allowed me to truly feel everyone’s
bound to draw cheers from the audience, presenting anticipation for the Spring Festival and their strong
a stunning visual feast. interest in Chinese culture. In Nepal, the Spring
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy meticulously Festival is no longer just a festival for the Chinese.
planned and held a series of celebration activities, It has gradually become a joyous bond that tran-
demonstrating the profoundness and breadth of tra- scends national boundaries and connects different
ditional Chinese culture to the Nepalese people. The cultures.
Overseas Chinese Associations and various other (The author Xia Chenchen is a Chinese doctor
organizations also held a rich variety of events, who is one of the founders of the Overseas Friend-
such as traditional Spring Festival temple fairs and ship international Hospital in Nepal and who has
cultural exhibitions, unreservedly presenting the lived in Nepal for almost ten years.)