HYDERABAD: After two years of barely being able to ring in their new year in style, the Chinese community in Hyderabad was hopeful that 2022 would be different. They were all pumped to ring in the Year of The Tiger on Tuesday by meeting their friends, playing games and feasting on some traditional food.
But the third wave had to throw their plans out of gear and the much-awaited gathering was cancelled on Sunday. While this year the celebrations are likely to be mutes, the community is determined to step into the new year with hope in their hearts. “Every year, we all gather for a function and practise all the old customs. We play some traditional games and have lunch. This year too, we had booked a place but had to cancel on Sunday because of Covid,” says Yuking Yu, the public relations officer and treasurer of the Hyderabad Overseas Chinese Friendship Association since its inception in 1995. It comprises 70-80 families of Chinese descendants.
He goes on to recall how the first settlers came from Shandong in northeast China during the Japanese invasion. “They mostly chose to settle down in Kolkata, Hyderabad and erstwhile Madras. They were mostly into shoemaking, laundry and restaurant businesses. However, the real change took place in the 1970s, when the community in Kolkata had to wind up their tanneries due to pollution. They all moved to Hyderabad. Most of them preferred this city over Madras or Kolkata because it was thriving under the Nizam; also the climate was comparatively better,” says Yuking, who also owns the famous Shanghai Dry Cleaners near Clock Tower. Another community from central China’s Hubei province, which is known for its traditional dentistry, moved to Hyderabad.
The community has integrated into Hyderabad’s social fabric, with a few families running come of the city’s most bustling Chinese restaurants. On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, we speak to come of the families about their life in Hyderabad and how they plan to celebrate the festival.
Father fled Tiananmen Square massacre
James Chu, 73, delves back into the story of his father, who came from Mainland China as a refugee in 1976 after the Tiananmen Square massacre. “He escaped to Calcutta, that too on foot,” he says. Decades after settling in Hyderabad and celebrating several new years here, James shares his experience: “We used to gather a night before and children used to get red pouches with money in it,” says the retired cook, who is married to Lakshmi, a Telugu
Visits Buddhist temple
Wu Jian, who runs Tung Kein, a Chinese restaurant at Somajiguda, misses the fact that the celebrations aren’t as elaborate here as they are in China. “A night before, the family gathers for a grand dinner followed by a party. In China, the celebration goes on for a week. But in Hyderabad, all the families are busy. We still get together and have a party the night before,” says Jian, who visits the Buddhist temple on the occasion
New year’s going to be low-key
Mathew Wong, who works for a private firm in the city, says the celebration is a big affair in Kolkata, but in Hyderabad, usually the Chinese association organises a party. “But this has been low-key for the past two years,” he says. Mathew is from Mainland China and worships Tsai Shen or Cai Shen on New Year’s day by offering incense and singing devotional chants
All about Chinese New Year
(With inputs from Himabindu Reddy)