The Chinese New Year will be celebrated on January 29, 2025. A Chinese New Year celebration event was held on January 18 at the White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou, inviting consular officials from 41 countries, their families, and representatives from the cultural tourism industry and media to experience a Lingnan-style celebration in advance.

The menu of the evening featured a set of typical Cantonese dishes that reflect the values and wishes of the Chinese New Year, including steamed mandarin fish symbolizing abundance and duck soup with peach gum for longevity, etc.

Guests toasting to each other during the feast (Photo: Guangdong China Travel Service)

Judyth Nsababera, the Consul General of Uganda in Guangzhou, has come to fully appreciate the significance of the Chinese New Year's Eve feast. She found the feast a beautiful tradition that brings people together to celebrate the harvest and the fruits of their work. "Whether it's working in an office or working in a garden. It's good to get together and celebrate," she said.  

Along with delicious food, the event offered lively cultural activities. Guests tried their hand at Spring Festival calligraphy, crafted Cantonese dim sum like shrimp dumplings and shumai, and explored traditional arts such as Canton porcelain, embroidery, and woodblock printing. The Chaoshan Kung Fu tea ceremony also gave them a taste of the local brew.

A kid trying woodblock painting at the event (Photo: Guangdong China Travel Service)

A guest painting on Canton porcelain (Photo: Guangdong China Travel Service)

Nicholas Duvivier, the new Deputy Consul General of the British Consulate General in Guangzhou, had just arrived in his new posting a week ago and had never experienced an authentic Chinese New Year before. Yet, as a diplomat who has worked around the globe, he always thought it important to understand and immerse himself in the local culture.

He expressed his appreciation, saying, "The event is a really important way for us to meet with local communities. And it's really great that we're given the opportunity to try things like calligraphy and cooking and such."  

Different from Nicholas, who is a new arrival, Mark Emptage from America has lived in Guangzhou for 15 years. Every year, he celebrates the Chinese New Year with his wife's family in Huadu, Guangzhou, and the flower market and little oranges have become his favorites.  

The event is part of the "Come to Guangdong and Celebrate Chinese New Year" campaign, in which the province invites global friends to share its festive traditions and enjoy culinary delights.  

Reporter | Chen Siyuan

Video | Qin Shaolong

Photo | Guangdong China Travel Service

Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He