Chinese Spring Festival goes global, holds universal values

Actors perform dragon dance at the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Feb 7, 2016. Lion and dragon dances were performed in Cambodia on Sunday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

The themes of the festival, including reunion, luck, peace, affluence, good health and safety, are all ideals that Chinese people have held for thousands of years, said Feng Jicai, a famous writer and president of the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association.

In order to be with families at the most important festival of the year, Chinese people travel long distances to go back home, as 2.9 billion trips are expected to be made during this holiday season.

However faraway and inconvenient -- even settling with a standing ticket for a 20-hour-plus trip -- Chinese people would not be willing to miss the annual family reunion. They go home, bring gifts, hand out red envelopes to seniors and children, and offer their best wishes to each other for a good year.

The festival, an occasion which features exciting family reunions and sincere caring for families and friends, is also known for its inclusiveness, which allows people from across the world to join the celebration regardless of their cultural, racial and religious backgrounds.