The chefs in the nutrition kitchen of the Children's Hospital have prepared dumplings. Photo by Wu Jiang, our staff reporter. The New Year greeting cards of the children. Starting from today, our newspaper will tell stories about how Beijingers and people from other places celebrate the Spring Festival in Beijing with themes such as reunion, left-behind children, Rabbit God, temple fairs, etc. Is there enough festive atmosphere? Is there enough local flavor? The answers are in our writings. Last night's firecracker sounds have not yet faded, and the New Year continues after staying up all night. The children in the Children's Hospital reunite in the ward, the children in the Yushu disaster area reunite in Beijing, and the new brides start the life of "running between two families on New Year's Eve"... A word of reunion expresses the theme and taste of the New Year. Time: 5 pm on New Year's Eve Location: Children's Hospital Main characters: a group of sick children who cannot go home On New Year's Eve, the children in the hospital wards cannot see their parents. In order to make the children feel the festive atmosphere, last night, the Children's Hospital boiled dumplings for the sick children and sent them into the wards. According to the regulations of the Children's Hospital, only from 2:30 pm to 4 pm on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday can visits be made, mainly to prevent cross-infection, and this timetable will not change because of New Year's Eve. Children with different diseases will eat different dumplings. Light the fire, prepare the water, put the dumplings. The chef of the nutrition kitchen picked up a big strainer, "brush brush" scooped the dumplings into the basin, "Today we cooked dumplings for ordinary patients, the same as adults." Chef Pan Jian Gang watched the dumplings come out of the pot and into the basin. The girl pushing the cart went towards the second internal medicine ward. "Dumplings are here." The smell of dumplings wafted through several wards. The nurses busily carried the children from their beds to the table, six small patients in hospital clothes gathered in one ward, eagerly looking towards the door. "Eat slowly, blow it first, it's hot." Six-year-old Lu Boxuan had a tube in his right hand and could only use his left hand to hold a small spoon, unable to scoop up the dumplings and was a bit anxious, leaning over the bowl and stuffing the dumplings into his mouth. Nurse-in-chief Liu Weiqing quickly helped him, worried that he would burn his little mouth. "I want to eat too." Zeng Lingwei, who had been silent, opened his little mouth and softly said four words, "He has allergic purpura, and his diet must be very careful, he cannot eat these dumplings." Nurse-in-chief Liu Weiqing also felt sorry, pointing to a wish card on the rabbit year wishing wall, saying that a child with this disease made a wish, hoping to eat the same food as other patients in the future. "For children with special diseases, the dumpling filling must be made according to the requirements of the nutritionist, they can eat them on the first day of the lunar year." Chef Pan Jian Gang said that early in the morning, the chefs in the nutrition restaurant should be busy making dumplings for them. The lights in the ward stay on to watch the Spring Festival Gala After dinner, eight-year-old Zang Zi Yi took out a pink rabbit ear from a small cabinet and put it on her head, "This is the rabbit ear my mom gave me." Zang Zi Yi pulled out a mobile phone from under her pillow, saying that her mom called her, and she missed home now. "I wonder if I can finish watching the Spring Festival Gala." Thirteen-year-old Xiao Ling (a pseudonym) said that the hospital turns off the lights at nine every night, and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to finish watching the gala. After knowing the thoughts of the children, Nurse-in-chief Liu Weiqing said that if the children want to watch the Spring Festival Gala, there will be no specified time for turning off the lights, "New Year's Eve is very special." By Wang Kala, our staff reporter [Lens Two] Foreigner invites more than a hundred friends to visit his home Time: New Year's Eve afternoon Location: Jiayin Impression Community, Tongzhou Main characters: Jim's family from the United States As the New Year's Eve approaches and the sound of firecrackers rises, Jim's family quietly stays at home, this is their sixth Chinese New Year. American Jim once won the title of "Top Ten Most Moving Community Figures in Beijing" in 2009 awarded by our newspaper. They established a free library in Tongzhou and also have an English corner. In 2009, they even took in a deaf-mute vagrant. Now, Jim's family rents a house in Jiayin Impression Community, Tongzhou. "On New Year's Day, you don't have to work, everyone can rest well at home." Jim's wife Lauren said that in the past week, they received visits from one or two hundred Chinese friends at home, they like China and the Chinese New Year. Daughter Judy said that she likes all Chinese food so much that her weight increased significantly after coming to China, "I like eating dumplings, but they are too complicated, I can't make them. When friends come over, they bring some, satisfying my craving." Normally, Judy also tries to cook some Chinese dishes at home, "I can make many dishes, but I don't know their names." She tried making cornbread with cornmeal and cooking porridge with tomatoes. Before the New Year, Judy went to the supermarket to buy New Year goods, when she saw the long queues in the supermarket, she "escaped" back home, "I don't like crowded places." Judy said that compared to going out, she would rather stay at home with her parents watching DVDs, "Chinese friends are very nice, often a phone call, and they quickly appear at my doorstep." By Li Chao, our staff reporter, and intern Sun Lichao [Lens Three] New Bride "Switches" Between Two Families for "Reunion" Time: December 29th to New Year's Eve Location: Shuangjing, Wukesong Main character: Newspaper reporter Yesterday was the last day of the lunar Gengyin year, also the commonly referred to "New Year's Eve" in Beijing. There is a term among the common people called "busy year," this year, as a newlywed Beijinger, although "reunion" does not require leaving the capital, I still felt particularly busy - having to separately visit two families for "family reunion" in the roles of both a daughter-in-law and a daughter. Taking a bath in advance to remove the bad luck of the past year Beijingers pay attention to bathing on New Year's Eve or close to New Year's Eve. Because there will be no time to bathe on New Year's Eve due to "switching venues," we took baths at our respective homes the night before. When we were young, the elders told us that this bath is crucial, related to whether the bad luck of the old year is completely removed and whether the new year will be auspicious. Actually, I miss the atmosphere of taking baths in public bathhouses when I was a child, the umbrella-like water flow, creating a misty fog. Reunion dinner emphasizes "fat pig knocking on the door" Yesterday, my "venue switching" began. Due to being newly married last year, this Spring Festival, I gained another identity. Everyone values reunion during the New Year, in order to make the elders of both families happy, after discussion, my husband and I decided to have lunch at my home to celebrate the New Year and pay respects to the elders, then rush to his home in the afternoon to spend the New Year's Eve. At 9 am, we took a taxi from home to the southern part of the city, where my grandparents were waiting for us. We brought Tianfu brand braised pork knuckles as New Year gifts, which also has its meaning, eating pork on New Year's Eve signifies the auspicious meaning of "fat pig knocking on the door." At 11 am, most family members had gathered. Auntie is already seventy years old and has grandchildren; Uncle's whole family specially returned from Japan to celebrate the New Year. My cousins and I hardly see each other throughout the year, but we all return home for the New Year's Eve reunion without exception. Grandpa and Grandma are both close to ninety years old and cannot stay up late at night, therefore, this year our family reunion dinner was changed to noon, eating fish and making dumplings - fish symbolizes surplus every year, and dumplings have the homophonic meaning of "jiaozi", signifying the transition between the old and the new. After finishing lunch, I rushed home to handle work for the whole afternoon. As evening approached, my husband and I ran to the west side of the city again, to have the New Year's Eve dinner with his family elders. As a new bride, I also received lucky money according to old customs. After the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone will stay up together to welcome the New Year - this meal should be eaten leisurely, at 8 pm the TV should be turned on, accompanying the sound of the Spring Festival Gala to wait for the arrival of midnight. Actually, we young people are more interested in setting off fireworks, the Spring Festival Gala hasn't been watched for several years. But we are used to leaving one ear open, listening to the sounds from the TV - in my heart, it is the sound of the New Year. By Wen Ru, our staff reporter