Sepcial Report: Spring Festival Special 2009

    BEIJING, Jan. 21 -- Twenty-one foreigners from more than ten countries experienced a traditional holiday meal in Ji'Nan city which is in the east China's Shandong Province.

    Preliminary Eve, or Xiao nian, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated one week before the Spring Festival.

　　Qi Fei, Deputy Secretary of the local Working Committee said, "This Sunday is a traditional Chinese holiday, called Preliminary Eve. We invited foreign volunteers in our community to celebrate with us, giving them our best wishes for the Lunar New Year."

    The foreigners, who all live in the community, teach locals English, care for the elderly and do community development work.

    They celebrated the festival by making Jiaozi, or dumplings, together with Chinese residents at a community center on Sunday.

    SOUNDBITE: reporter "Is it hard to make Jiaozi?" SOUNDBITE: Anna "Not that hard. But you have to take some time learning it." SOUNDBITE: Reporter "Where do you come from?" SOUNDBITE: Anna "Novosibirsk, Russia. You know it?" SOUNDBITE: Reporter "What Chinese food do you like best?" SOUNDBITE: Anna "I like Jiaozi, scrambled egg-plants with potato and pepper, hot chicken cubes, and so on."

    Every province in China has its own way of celebrating Xiao Nan. It is particularly popular in rural areas.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ji'nan.

(Source: XHTV)