Feature: Exploring Spring Festival and Chinese culture in Brussels

BRUSSELS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- "Why is there a year named after the Snake?" Mathias, a junior majoring in Chinese translation at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, was fascinated by the recurring symbols of snakes at the Chinese Spring Festival Fair held here on Saturday, and asked.

His Chinese classmate, Huang Haolin, explained the 12-animal Chinese zodiac in detail, and noted that "The snake symbolizes intelligence and versatility in the Chinese zodiac."

Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival in the Chinese culture. In order to explore the vibrant Spring Festival fair and Chinese culture, Mathias woke up earlier than usual this morning and set out with Huang for the fair despite a drizzle.

The fair, organized by the federation of overseas Chinese communities in Belgium, buzzed with energy as local people and tourists gathered enthusiastically, sharing laughter and delight at the festivities.

As Mathias and Huang navigated through the crowd, the aroma of herbs led them to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) booth. They were handed steaming cups of herbal tea.

While sipping tea, Mathias got some knowledge about TCM, impressed. "This is remarkable. Traditional Chinese medicine seems to be more than a medical system -- it's a philosophy of life."

Mathias also visited other booths, enjoyed Tai Chi performance and lion dance. Each experience illuminated deeper meanings behind Chinese culture as well as Spring Festival which was inscribed last December by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on intangible cultural heritage list.

Mathias left the fair inspired, eager to delve further into the rich Chinese culture.