Expats have happy Chinese new year in Kunming

During the just-concluded Spring Festival, or the Chinese new year, some foreigners in Kunming, Yunnan province also enjoyed themselves with their Chinese relatives and friends.

Australian David: Chinese new year makes me feel at home

David is from Sydney, Australia, and his wife Bonny is native to Kunming, Yunnan province. In 2019, he came to Kunming to live with Bonny, and this is his sixth Spring Festival in the spring city.

This year, David made a difference by learning to play mahjong, make Chinese dumplings and write the Chinese character “福/fú” with a brush.

David and Bonny had the New Year's Eve reunion dinner with their Chinese relatives. When asked about the favorite dishes, David said he liked the Chinese dishes in general but rice cake slivers and milk fans are his favorites in Kunming.

"I’m happy to see family members get together in Kunming during the Chinese New Year. It's nice to feel the air of warmth and happiness," said David, admiring the fireworks that flashed outside the window from time to time.

Now David is working at a kindergarten in Kunming. He said, "Kunming is beautiful and has a pleasant climate. It is not as busy as other big cities, so it is very comfortable to live here."　

German businessman: Firecrackers are everywhere during the festival

Tim, a German native, fell in love with his classmate Gu Li when he was studying in Melbourne, Australia. Gu Li is a Kunminger. Before 2020, they had lived in Germany with stable jobs.

“Back then, Gu Li was missing her hometown Kunming, where the pleasant climate, blue sky, tasty dishes and fresh flowers had been appealing to me,” said Tim, adding he has been to cities in more than 20 countries, but Kunming is the most desirable place.

Later, they returned to Kunming to opened the Nanzhu Commune cafe, a park with a natural lifestyle. "You can live a real life in Kunming, and that’s why visitors are reluctant to leave the city," said Tim.

Having spent the Spring Festival three times in Kunming, Tim already takes the city as his second hometown. Tim said: "The Chinese new year is lively, with firecrackers visible everywhere, and the streets are decorated with lights and other red items."

Tim and Gu Li enjoyed this year's reunion dinner with their colleagues in Nanzhu Commune, and most of the dishes are traditional ones cooked by themselves. As for Yunnan cuisine, Tim said he especially enjoys the Pu'er and Xishuangbanna dishes.

Reporting by He Xuanying (Yunnan Net); Trans-editing by Wang Shixue