Through a conversation between two brothers, learn the difference between zodiac fortune-telling and science.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

小宝: 哥哥, Grandma often says your zodiac animal can show whether someone is impressive. Is that true?
小刚: The Chinese zodiac is a traditional culture and it’s interesting, but it can’t determine what a person will be like.
小宝: Then are the things fortune-tellers say believable? Can they know the future?
小刚: Right now there’s no scientific proof that fortune-telling can predict the future. It’s more about helping people feel reassured.
小宝: So is it useful to listen to fortune-telling?
小刚: It’s fine to listen, but you shouldn’t believe it completely. What matters most is your own effort.
小宝: I see. Then how should I think about the zodiac?
小刚: You can learn it as culture and stories, but when you make decisions, you should rely on yourself.
小宝: I understand. I want to believe in myself!

Questions about marriage and income during Spring Festival reunions trigger anxiety among young people.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

黄刚: 花, I recently saw a term called “Spring Festival anxiety,” saying many young people feel nervous just thinking about going home.
陈花: I’m not surprised. The scariest thing is when relatives immediately ask: Are you married? How much do you earn? Have you bought a house?
黄刚: Right. In the eyes of elders, these questions show concern, but for young people, the pressure is really heavy.
陈花: Especially now, with unstable jobs and high housing prices, being constantly compared makes it easy to feel “unsuccessful.”
黄刚: From a social perspective, this is actually a difference in values between generations. The older generation is used to measuring life by fixed standards.
陈花: That’s why experts advocate the “three no-questions”—talk more about life experiences and avoid labeling.
黄刚: In the end, the meaning of the Spring Festival is reunion, not giving each other an ‘annual performance review.’
陈花: Exactly. If we express our care more gently, the New Year will feel much more comfortable.

Fireworks bring festive spirit but also pollution and danger. Learn to celebrate in a greener way.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

小宝: 哥哥, let's set off fireworks for the New Year! I want to hear the “bang bang” sounds!
小刚: 小宝, fireworks are beautiful, but they make the air dirty and create many tiny particles, like an “instant fog.”
小宝: What are tiny particles? Will they make us cough?
小刚: Yes. Children and the elderly are especially likely to feel uncomfortable. The loud noise can also scare people and even hurt their ears.
小宝: Is it also unsafe? Could it cause a fire?
小刚: Yes. When the weather is dry, fires are more likely. Hands and eyes can also be injured by explosions, so we must be careful.
小宝: Then how can we celebrate the New Year happily?
小刚: We can put up Spring Festival couplets, watch lantern shows, and use electronic fireworks. Setting off fewer or no fireworks can still be lively while protecting the blue sky.

Young people are regaining control of the Spring Festival rhythm through “reverse New Year” and companion-style socializing.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

黄刚: 花, I read a report saying that many young people are now choosing a “reverse New Year,” bringing their parents to the city where they work to celebrate.
陈花: I noticed that too. It’s quite refreshing. Parents can see their children’s living environment, and it also avoids those repetitive questions from relatives.
黄刚: From a social perspective, this is actually about taking back the initiative of reunion, instead of just following the old routine.
陈花: And there are many Spring Festival activities in cities now—museums, lantern festivals, performances are all open. It’s more interesting than staying home scrolling on phones.
黄刚: There’s also the idea of finding a “Spring Festival companion”—people who don’t go home celebrate together, stay up on New Year’s Eve, and help each other, reducing loneliness.
陈花: Yes, I think this kind of relationship is light but just right. It doesn’t put pressure on each other and keeps the holiday from feeling too empty.
黄刚: The report also mentioned that young people take the initiative to help elders with small tasks, shifting attention away from awkward interrogations.
陈花: In the end, no matter how you celebrate, as long as family members are willing to understand each other, even if the form changes, the feeling of reunion remains.

A comparison of Spring Festival customs between China and Vietnam: family reunion and bidding farewell to the old year versus ancestor worship and heritage, each with its own emphasis.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

刘娜: 小潘, you’re from Vietnam. Could you briefly explain in Chinese? What’s different about your Spring Festival compared with China’s?
小潘: In Vietnam, the New Year places more emphasis on “ancestors.” On New Year’s Eve, we put lots of food in front of the altar, and the whole family prays together for blessings.
刘娜: In China, we also honor ancestors, but many families nowadays emphasize “a new start” and family reunion more—for example, having the New Year’s Eve dinner together and watching the Spring Festival Gala.
小潘: Yes. The first time I watched the Spring Festival Gala in Beijing, it felt like a huge show where the whole country celebrates together—so lively.
刘娜: Right. Chinese people often say “bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new,” meaning we hope to put down last year’s troubles and welcome new good luck.
小潘: Vietnam has a similar idea, but we feel more that “our ancestors celebrate the New Year with us,” which makes us feel especially at ease.
刘娜: That reminds me of a saying: no matter where you celebrate the New Year, what matters most is the care and blessings in your heart.
小潘: I agree. Even though the ways are different, we all hope the home becomes warmer and the new year becomes better.

Teacher 李芳 introduces 小美 to the main Spring Festival customs, and 小美 shares her expectations and understanding of the New Year celebration.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

李芳: 小美, do you know what kind of holiday the Spring Festival is?
小美: Yes! The Spring Festival is when everyone celebrates the New Year together—it’s very lively!
李芳: Right. During the Spring Festival, people put up Spring Festival couplets to express their wishes for the new year.
小美: I’ve seen red couplets with lots of characters on them!
李芳: Before the Spring Festival, there’s also a very important meal called the New Year’s Eve dinner. The whole family eats together.
小美: I like the New Year’s Eve dinner the most—I can eat with Grandpa and Grandma!
李芳: After the New Year’s Eve dinner, elders also give children lucky money to wish them safe and healthy growth.
小美: I’ve received lucky money too. I say thank you!
李芳: During the Spring Festival, people also pay New Year visits and say blessing words to each other.
小美: Then I want to say ‘Happy New Year’ to everyone too!

The festive atmosphere of the New Year in rural areas has faded, and the ways of reunion and traditions are changing.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

刘娜: 小潘, have you ever celebrated the Spring Festival in China? Do you think celebrating it in rural areas is the same as before?
小潘: I read in books that celebrating the New Year in rural areas used to be very lively, but now it seems the festive atmosphere has faded.
刘娜: Yes. In the past, people really looked forward to the New Year. Now that life is better, new clothes and special foods are available even on ordinary days.
小潘: I also heard that New Year visits have changed. Some people just give gifts without chatting.
刘娜: That’s right. In the past, New Year visits focused on emotions and relationships. Now sometimes it feels like just going through the motions, which is a bit regrettable.
小潘: And some young people don’t necessarily return to the countryside; they celebrate in the cities instead, right?
刘娜: Exactly. But no matter where they are, the core of the Spring Festival is still family reunion.
小潘: I understand now. The form may change, but the feelings should remain—that’s the true meaning of the Spring Festival.

The rise of a “segmented” way of celebrating the Spring Festival during the long holiday and its collision with traditional ideas of reunion.

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Chinese Listening | 중국어 리스닝 | 中国語リスニング | Аудирование по китайскому языку | Nghe tiếng Trung | Mendengarkan bahasa Mandarin | Escucha en chino | การฟังภาษาจีน | Chinesisches Hören | Écoute du chinois | Ascolto cinese | Audição em chinês | चीनी सुनना | الاستماع إلى اللغة الصينية

黄刚: 花, we have a nine-day holiday this Spring Festival. I saw in the news that many people are starting to celebrate in a “segmented” way—first family reunion, then traveling. Do you think it’s practical?
陈花: I was just about to tell you! In previous years, we went back to our hometown to visit relatives and were busy every single day, exhausted like we were “fighting a battle.” How about staying up with our parents on New Year’s Eve first, then traveling together from the second day?
黄刚: Sounds good. I used to think you can’t have your cake and eat it too—either reunion or travel. Now that the holiday is longer, maybe we can have the best of both worlds. But will our parents think it’s “not like the New Year”?
陈花: Actually, ideas are changing too. The news says many parents choose a “reverse New Year,” going to the cities where their children work. As long as the family sits together for the New Year’s Eve dinner, is the form really that important?
黄刚: That makes sense. The Spring Festival originally came from an agricultural society as a seasonal ritual, focusing on reunion and gratitude. Now life moves fast—if traveling helps the family relax more, that’s also a new kind of festive atmosphere.
陈花: Exactly! And many places are offering intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, ice and snow festivals, and hot spring activities. We can take our parents to see traditional crafts like paper-cutting and shadow puppetry, so they can experience a different kind of Spring Festival.
黄刚: But transportation might have several peak waves. The news says the second day of the New Year is a travel peak. We’d better book tickets in advance and not leave it to the last minute.
陈花: Haha, you’re right! No matter how we celebrate, the key is not to turn the holiday into pressure. Keep the spirit of reunion, add a bit of freshness to life—maybe that’s the new answer to the Spring Festival in changing times.