By Staff Walter
Chinese project worker showing around some of the local visitors to the demonstration farm.
The celebration of the New Year or Lunar Year in China on 1 February 2020 was a quiet one for the Chinese expatriate community serving in Samoa.
The normal fun activities of families getting together to enjoy what is also known as the Spring Festival in China was stopped by the COVID 19 current state of emergency health security restrictions.
For Dr. Jin Liu and his family no big gathering in a restaurant to celebrate and share gifts with other Chinese nationals serving in Samoa.
“We celebrate our Spring Festival just like Christmas in Samoa and it centres mainly around big family get togethers, lots of food and sharing gifts,” Dr. Liu explained when asked by Newsline Samoa.
The Chinese expatriate is the head of the Samoa China Agricultural Technical Aid Project that runs a demonstration farm next to the Ministry of Agriculture Research Station at Nu’u.
He has been working in Samoa for going on 4 years now and keeps in touch with his family in China on social media.
“This is usually a time in China when family members come together from wherever they are to mark and share the occasion with parents – they are the most important people.
“My parents are in their 80s in China and I’m unable to travel to join them because of the pandemic restrictions.”
Every year the Chinese embassy in Samoa hosts a Spring Festival reception for expatriate workers like Dr. Liu and his family to share in the celebrations.
Again it was put off by the pandemic health security restrictions.
The Chinese calendar year is traditionally named after an animal and 2022 is Year of the Tiger. The tradition is based on an old Chinese folk tale known as the Great Race.
Animals race to get to the Jade Emperor and the order they reached the emperor is the order years are named, which follows a 12-year cycle.
The highlights of each year revolve around the admired characters associated with the animal selected to represent.
The Year of Tiger represents in the Chinese folklore bravery, confidence and strong will. Previous tiger years include 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950 and 1938