Changes wont bring the feelings away

Huichun (Spring Festival Couplets) Street in Foshan was originated from Fulu Road, which was the place selling lunar year gift collections back in 1900s. Firecrackers, Chinese paper cutting, couplets, and many other spring festival products were used to be sold here every year, attracting crowds to do festival shopping.

With the development and changes in the city, more buildings and skyscrapers replaced the small shops in Fulu Road. From Fulu Road, Yongan Road to Gongzheng Road, Kuaizi Road now becomes the latest Huichun Street of Foshan. Various arcades with the sense of tradition from the profound Lingnan culture combined with the lively atmosphere from the Spring Festivals have stored the unique and characteristic memory of Foshan.

Time has gone, but love never fades

"It is my habit to practice couplets hand-writing for years. I practice calligraphy every day, and I believe that the effort will be paid off with my perseverance," said Uncle Yang, a calligraphy lover.

Another calligraphy lover, the 80-year-old Uncle Yang, explained that hand-written couplets are the things that make everyone happy, which makes it meaningful for him to do. These two old friends dived into the world of calligraphy and contributed to the celebration and happiness of the Spring Festival in their ways. It is a treasure to our lively and profound Lingnan culture and Chinese traditional culture.

Couplets go with the trend

There is one store in Kuaizi Road selling some unique couplets. Some trendy phrases and traditional celebration phrases and characters are mixed in a new way. What an amazing and stylish way for celebration. Moreover, more international couplets are found on Kuaizi Road.

Look at these English couplets, which are all written by this 72-year-old  English learner, Uncle Fang. He has been writing and selling couplets for over 10 years. What makes him different from others is that he writes a bilingual version of couplets.

In order to write the correct phrases and sentences in English, He decided to learn English grammar a few years ago. Though there are not many foreigners in this neighborhood, Uncle Fang always communicates with foreigners in English during the purchases. He thinks that once you talk more in English, you can learn more from experience. He is happy that the younger generation now shows great interest in his bilingual couplets because he can feel a sense of achievement.

This “Good Luck in the Year of the Tiger" is the gift from Uncle Fang to our readers. The mentality of life-long learning is a new version of cultural innovation, progress and confidence.

Author | Wency

Revisor | Ivy, Eleanor, Jessica

Photo | Foshan News, Guangzhou Daily