As migratory birds trace their path north across the Indian Ocean, the fiery aroma of Chongqing hotpot seems to mingle with the island breeze, and memories of Beijing’s winter snow soften into golden sunsets along Colombo’s shore.
In 2026, Lunar New Year in Sri Lanka—often affectionately called the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”—feels less like a scene from a snowy postcard and more like a meeting of coconut palms and crimson couplets. It is a reunion that stretches across seas and continents, shaped by warmth rather than winter.
We met three members of the Chinese community living in Sri Lanka. Their journeys differ, yet each has found a meaningful way to celebrate the season in this tropical island home.
Zinia: Fourteen Years, Two Homes
“This is my seventh Spring Festival in Sri Lanka,” says Zinia, who has lived here for 14 years and now considers it her second home.
After marrying in Sri Lanka, she settled near the parliamentary district of Colombo. The neighborhood, she notes, doesn’t have the lantern-lit bustle of a traditional Chinatown. Chinese restaurants are few, and daily life moves to a distinctly local rhythm.
Yet what may seem understated is filled with a quiet sense of belonging.
Festive gift packages from the Embassy of China in Sri Lanka carry greetings from afar. Shelves in Chinese grocery stores offer familiar flavors of home. Most meaningful of all, her parents fly in each year, bringing red envelopes and carefully packed treats across oceans. On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the family enjoys a refined Chinese meal at a local restaurant; on the first day of the new year, they celebrate with a five-star hotel buffet featuring Sri Lankan fusion cuisine.
What touches her most is the warmth of her Sri Lankan friends. Many, through trade or educational exchanges with China, are familiar with Spring Festival traditions—dumplings, red clothing, poetic couplets. When neighbors arrive bearing local festive delicacies to share their good wishes, it becomes a two-way celebration of culture and friendship.
“I used to feel homesick,” Zinia reflects. “Now I don’t. Travel is easier, and wherever my family is, that’s where the New Year is.”
Sri Lanka, she says with certainty, is home.
Da Liu: A First Family Spring, Between Ice and Sun
When Da Liu first arrived in Sri Lanka as a traveler in 2015, he was captivated. Today, with a background in hospitality and advertising, this outdoor enthusiast has put down roots in the island’s resort and hotel management sector.
This year marks a special milestone: the first time he has brought his family to celebrate Lunar New Year here.
“Dad, is this my winter holiday or summer holiday?” his child asks, perfectly capturing the contrast. Swapping Beijing’s snow and ice for Sri Lanka’s tropical sunshine creates a delightful sense of “two seasons at once.”
He has also been pleasantly surprised by the festive atmosphere. In Colombo, many businesses decorate for the occasion and host Lunar New Year-themed events, reflecting the growing cultural connections between communities.
While the selection of traditional holiday goods may not rival that of China, local Chinese supermarkets carry ready-made dumplings, steamed buns, and even dumpling wrappers—small comforts that go a long way. On New Year’s Eve, Da Liu chose a seaside restaurant in Colombo, where the family dined on Sri Lankan specialties as the sun dipped below the Indian Ocean, waves providing a gentle soundtrack to an unforgettable evening.
From that night onward, daily greetings from Sri Lankan friends have made him feel that “Chinese New Year” has become a vibrant cultural bridge—one celebrated with curiosity and goodwill.
Chen Bowen: Three New Years, A Journey of Resilience
“This is my third Spring Festival in Sri Lanka,” says Chen Bowen, who works in the gemstone trade.
His path here has been marked by both challenge and renewal. What began as a single office has grown into five in the coastal town of Beruwala, supported by an expanding team. Sri Lanka has witnessed his second entrepreneurial chapter—one shaped by perseverance and patience.
For Chen, the most striking difference is the climate. Leaving behind Chongqing’s damp winter for a sunlit tropical island, the New Year becomes a warm family retreat of sea breeze, palm trees, and blue skies—an experience his son especially loves.
Spring Festival couplets from the embassy bring festive color; family traditions bring life to them. When dumpling wrappers aren’t readily available, the family gathers to knead dough and roll them by hand. The shared effort, he says, is more meaningful than any store-bought treat.
As a native of Chongqing, he insists on hotpot for the reunion dinner. “Sitting around a bubbling red broth in a tropical country—sea breeze outside, steam rising indoors.” Paired with fresh Sri Lankan seafood and tropical fruit, it becomes a uniquely overseas version of a Chongqing New Year.
Joining a local Sichuan–Chongqing business association this year has deepened his sense of belonging. Familiar dialects and shared stories create a circle of connection far from home.
“Where my family is, that’s where the New Year is,” he says. With parents nearby and his child by his side, homesickness fades.
Reflecting on past setbacks and present growth, Chen believes opportunity here comes hand in hand with respect—for local culture, for steady effort, and for long-term commitment.
Home Is Where the Heart Rests
Zinia’s quiet permanence, Da Liu’s fresh beginning, and Chen Bowen’s resilient rebuilding together reflect the broader story of many Chinese families in Sri Lanka.
Their Lunar New Year has no single shape. It may unfold over a hotel buffet, a seaside dinner, or a steaming hotpot shared at home. It may arrive in winter or under tropical sun. It may be celebrated in one’s birthplace—or on an island thousands of miles away.
The spirit of the season is not defined by geography or climate, but by companionship and intention.
With red couplets fluttering in the coconut breeze, dumplings on the table, family and friends gathered close, and a shared respect between cultures, the essence of the New Year finds its place—warm, welcoming, and wonderfully at home.