Celebrate CNY With a Sustainable and Meaningful Touch

This means eating the food, taking part in the festivities, and decorating your place! Usually, my Chinese teacher likes to give us a nifty set of simple decorations in a box set, which is easily ordered off Taobao. But this year, I found a couple of things that give my Chinese New Year celebration a little more meaning.

A few days ago, a local acquaintance reached out to me and asked if I was interested in buying some handwritten calligraphy scrolls. These traditionally come in a couplet or triplet and are to be pasted outside your door, ushering in well wishes for the new year. In this set, the horizontal inscription says “May your family be kind,” while the scroll on the right reads, “The mountains and rivers are beautiful scenery” and the one on the left says “May you have a rich life with happiness.” Incidentally, they were all handwritten by her 12-year-old son!

Now you might recall I myself had brought my 6-year-old son to attempt calligraphy once. It did not end well and we never went back. But I continue to be awed by the focus and patience of this almost-lost art. So I was impressed to discover that this local youth, Lynn, had been studying calligraphy for four years with professionals. In his mother’s words, “I am happy for him because he is doing something he really likes.”

Call me old-school but I like knowing the hand that paints my scrolls, instead of some soulless factory reprint. If you like what you see as well, feel free to scan the QR code below to place an order. Lynn is also happy to customize the scrolls if you have specific well wishes in mind. Prices start from RMB 38 for a set.

For a more sustainable touch to your CNY, consider giving your red packets in these stylish cloth hongbao from China-born eco-wrap brand Baluchon, of local beeswax wraps and furoshiki (exquisite Japanese cloth wrap) fame. Aside from being reused year after year, they can also be reused as a cute wallet after CNY because let’s face it, red never goes out of style in China! Prices start from RMB 108. These are also customizable with company logos. Scan the QR code for more options!

Images: Pexels, courtesy of vendors, Liz & Po