A Chinese New Year in the countryside

I had seen a lot of it before -- a large family gathering of many relatives, some of whom I would struggle to remember the names of, a big meal with everybody helping themselves at once, a barrage of explosions and lights with colorful fireworks decorating the night sky and the excitement of the New Year television gala. Although I was familiar with some of the Spring Festival traditions, I still longed to experience the 'traditional New Year in the countryside' that people had always told me about.

This village had been lucky, I was told, a new road had been built a couple of years previously, making access much more convenient.

I knew that this Chinese New year would be different; as our car crossed the vast Yellow River into Shanxi province, I could feel the landscape changing. We were moving into much more rural territory, with fewer of the familiar Western brands and buildings that I had become so used to after living in the city. Our journey took us through provincial towns. We stopped in one to buy some firecrackers, a place which was already bustling with life, with a collection of small shops and street sellers vying for customers. It was very important, I was told, to pick up the firecrackers here, before we headed further into the countryside.

The road became a dust track for a while, but then we moved on to a smooth tarmacked road. This village had been lucky, I was told, a new road had been built a couple of years previously, making access much more convenient. I also noticed telegraph poles one side of the road, showing that the village was fully in touch with the outside world.

This time there was a huge variety of different dishes, from cold fruits and nuts, to preserved meats, hot vegetable dishes and a whole fish standing out at the center of the table.

The car pulled up outside the house. It was arranged with buildings containing rooms on both sides of the central courtyard. I was shown the simple room where I was going to sleep,which was very simple, and had no heating, blankets would have to be sufficient.

Exploring the house, I discovered many other traditional elements. A bed bordered on the kitchen area, and it could be warmed from the heat of the kitchen during the winter by a metal sideboard at the head of the bed. The room in the communal area of the house was dominated by a large charcoal burner and a bed with a metal frame, which looked less than comfortable. The walls were covered with large calligraphy pieces, blessing the house and the family. The house had no plumbing, and a small hut had been put up behind the house, to serve as a toilet.