With every passing moment, this world that we call home grows more and more global. The borders between countries, and the separations between cultures, grow smaller and smaller. But even as our nations and our people meld and cross with one another, some customs still live on. Traditions that have lasted for centuries will not see their deathbeds today, and in China, few things exemplify this better than Chinese New Year.

In a country where the modern meets the traditional, the future meets the past, Chinese people, like me, strive hard to maintain their traditions. During Chinese New Year, families come together to enjoy traditional food, like 'tangyuan' and spring rolls. Tangyuan represents family reunion, and spring rolls bring you good fortune. We also eat fish because it is said that it will make the new year bountiful. We watch movies together, and children receive red packets from their elders. Nowadays, though, with modern technology, we can also use WeChat to send digital red packets. In this globalised world, we can eat other dishes from around the world, too.

Chinese New Year is a festival with its roots in fairy tales and myths, but it has endured in today's world because of the values it represents. Family. Hope. Love. Perseverance.

By Esther, Year 11, YCIS Puxi Secondary