articles​

China Elevator Stories

31 Dec 2012

I travel to Guangxi province with my boyfriend.

31/12/2013

Ruth Silbermayr China Elevator Stories profile picture
Ruth Silbermayr

Author

December 31st, 2012, marks the second time I celebrate New Year’s Eve in China. In the morning, my boyfriend and I arrive in Nanning. As we walk down a crowded street exploring the city, he suddenly proposes to me.

In the afternoon, we take a bus to a small town near a village called Bama, known for its high percentage of people over 100 years of age.

We arrive late in the evening.

The town isn’t anything out of the ordinary, and the air doesn’t seem as clean as we expected, but this day still feels special to us.

In the evening, we celebrate our engagement and New Year by having dinner at a few street stalls.

There are no fireworks, as is common in China, which doesn’t celebrate Western New Year. Still, walking through the streets of that town at night, searching for food, carries a unique charm. After a long walk, we finally find a few street stalls, and my now-fiancé orders a variety of shaokao.

We sit on tiny plastic chairs around the tables, chatting the night away. I have a feeling that he is the right choice for me, even though I’ve known him for less than a month.

Happy New Year!

How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve abroad?

Follow me on: