Chinese greet Spring Festival with Winter Olympics motifs

SHIJIAZHUANG, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the Spring Festival, 50-year-old Fan Haifeng pasted traditional spring couplets on his doors as part of the usual Chinese New Year ritual. But this year's couplets carry a special theme -- the Winter Olympics.

A festive fervor has permeated the aura as people are savoring the Spring Festival holiday, lasting from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, and enthusiasm is running high for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, slated to open on Feb. 4.

"It's a special festive intersection that merit double celebrations," Fan said, adding that he wants to convey the joy of both occasions through the couplets, which are traditionally used to express happiness and optimistic thoughts for the coming year.

Just like the themed couplets, traditional Chinese New Year decorations and food this year have increasingly featured Winter Olympic motifs, as the enthusiasm for the Games swept through regular households.

Fan lives in Yuxian County in north China's Hebei Province, and the county is famous for its special paper-cutting techniques with over 200 years of history. The local craft was listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

The paper cuttings created by a local artist even appeared in the "Beijing 8 Minutes" during the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games.

As a popular Chinese New Year decoration, the cut-outs are often glued to the exterior of doors and windows. This year, local craftsmen have also created a series of works combining both the new year and the Winter Games theme.

Fan's house is dotted with cut-outs depicting this theme, such as the ones featuring Beijing 2022 mascots Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon and those illustrating skating games.

He even wanted to give some cut-outs to his daughter Fan Jingshu, 26, a doctor by profession who is currently serving at a Winter Olympics site in Chongli District of Zhangjiakou City, about 200 km away from home.

"However, I didn't want to make her too homesick or affect her work there, so I gave up the idea," the senior Fan said.

Though this is Fan Jingshu's first Spring Festival away from home, she said she is happy to be able to witness and participate in such a global event. "We Chinese never hesitate to contribute our bits to such important events."

In China's northern region, people have the tradition to bake New Year flower cakes as they symbolize "getting better year after year." This year, cakes in the shape of the Beijing 2022 mascots have been well received in the market.

"Many locals also bake such cakes themselves," Fan said. "They signify blessings for the athletes, encouraging them to perform better at the Winter Olympics."