Korean-Style Chinese New Year Feast Lights Up Northeast China

When Tradition Meets Flavor: A Culinary Celebration in Yanbian

In Helong City’s Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, the Jin family’s kitchen is buzzing like a K-pop concert backstage . With two must-have dishes—fish head steamed rice and chewy rice cakes—they’re blending Korean heritage with Lunar New Year magic.

Home to over 600,000 ethnic Koreans, Yanbian’s streets hum with bilingual greetings and the aroma of kimchi stews. 'These dishes connect us to our roots,' says Mrs. Jin, stirring a pot of tteokguk (rice cake soup). 'It’s like Squid Game vibes, but with 100% more family love.'

Fun fact: Balancing chopsticks and spoons, locals here switch between Mandarin and Korean as smoothly as a TikTok dance trend.

Reference(s):

A Taste of Chinese New Year | Celebrating Korean style in NE China

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