As crimson lanterns light up streets from Hong Kong to the Taiwan region, the Spring Festival has become a vibrant thread weaving together Chinese communities worldwide 🌍. While separated by geography, traditions like dumpling-making, ancestral tributes, and festive couplets highlight a shared cultural heartbeat.
For Zhuang Ling, a photographer in Taiwan, the holiday is a time capsule of memories. Born on the Chinese mainland, his family carried Sichuanese customs—like smoking bacon with pine branches—to their new home. \"The scent of smoked meat still feels like my childhood,\" he says, describing how his father penned poetic couplets while plum blossoms symbolized renewal.
In Hong Kong and Macao, night markets buzz with golden ingot-shaped snacks and dragon dances, while temples overflow with incense. Across regions, young people blend ancient rituals with modern twists—think digital red envelopes 💌 and TikTok lantern tutorials.
\"These traditions aren’t just about the past,\" Zhuang reflects. \"They’re how we say, ‘We’re still family.’\" As fireworks crackle over Victoria Harbour and ancestral altars glow in Taipei, the Spring Festival proves that culture knows no borders 🎇.
