A bite of the Spring Festival at dumpling restaurant in Beijing

With the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, just around the corner, dumpling restaurants in Beijing are now all abuzz with customers seeking to have a taste of this symbolic dish during the annual festival, especially among those from northern China.

Located at Nanjianzi Lane in Jingshan neighborhood, the Yuanmanlun dumpling restaurant has been operating for about 13 years. Famous for its freshly made and tasty dumplings, the dumpling restaurant has become a magnet for local customers.

The dumpling restaurant makes fresh dumplings using different kinds of fillings each and every day, according to its owner Chen Fengtong, a Beijing native in his early sixties.

At variance with the owners of other dumpling restaurants in Beijing, Chen spends a lot of time chatting with his customers at each table on a wide range of topics, including introducing the distinctive flavors of his dumplings, as well as catching up with regular customers on each other’s lives.

“My customers are like friends,” Chen said, adding that he wants to create a comfortable atmosphere for his customers and leave fond memories for them.

“Chen treats us like friends and often chitchats with us. Every time I eat dumplings at his restaurant, I feel like I am enjoying a meal at home,” said a customer surnamed Song.

Dumplings have become a more important symbol of the traditional Spring Festival, since fireworks and firecrackers are now banned during the Spring Festival, according to Song.

Song added that making and cooking dumplings together with family members is more meaningful than just eating the dish.

“We Chinese eat dumplings on almost every special occasion,” said a college student surnamed Huang. While eating dumplings at the restaurant, Huang recalled nostalgic scenes of the past when her family members wrapped dumplings together. “This is a kind of family activity, when everyone makes the dumplings together on Chinese New Year’s Eve,” Huang said.

“In the past, we used to eat dumplings only during the Spring Festival; Now we can eat them whenever we want, as life is getting better,” said a customer surnamed Li, who is living in Beijing.

“It’s a tradition to eat dumplings on Chinese New Year’s Eve,” Chen said, noting that he will temporarily close his restaurant during the Chinese New Year and enjoy a family reunion.