Foreign experts in Xiamen celebrate Spring Festival

The Huihe Stone Cultural Park in Xiamen, Southeast China's Fujian Province, hosted a special event on January 30th to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival. 
Under the theme "New Year Greetings for a Better Future", the event brought together over 30 foreign experts and their family members from more than 10 countries, to experience intangible cultural heritage in Minnan, or southern Fujian, embracing the festive atmosphere.

"Xiamen is not just a hub for scientific research. It makes me feel warm. It's been like a home from home." said professor Pavlo Dral from Germany, who works for the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Xiamen University. He added that the melodies from Gulangyu Island and the lights of the laboratory both punctuate and bring joy to his daily life. 
Bill Pearson, the principal of Achieve Xiamen International School, shared his daily observation in Xiamen. "When I first arrived in Xiamen, I was captivated by the city's modernity and efficiency. Now, I can easily buy groceries using 'Pupu' (an online shopping platform) and do shopping on Taobao."
During the event, the intangible cultural heritage experience area proved the most bustling corner. At the shadow carving area, foreign experts wielded steel chisels, gently carving black stone slabs to etch them with the Chinese character "fu", symbolizing happiness, and other Chinese zodiac signs.
In the ink-rubbing area, participants rolled ink, laid paper, and pressed the paper to create "fu" characters. At the calligraphy table, many participants had their initial experience of Chinese brush to write Chinese characters like "chun" (spring) and "he" (harmony).
Source: Xiamen Foreign Affairs