NANJING — "Xin chun kuai le!" Zekrollah Aflatuni, 80, said as he gave a toast for a happy Spring Festival in fluent Chinese, clinking glasses with his guests at a table laden with holiday dishes and delights.

It was the eve of the 27th Spring Festival that this silver-haired Iranian-Finnish man has celebrated since he arrived in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. "I come from Finland, the hometown of Santa Claus," Aflatuni said joyfully. "For me, besides Christmas, Spring Festival is another grand event every year for family gatherings and happiness.

"Dumplings are a must-have. We're also having niangao," he added, referring to a type of glutinous rice cake often eaten during Spring Festival.

On Jan 28, Aflatuni celebrated the eve of Spring Festival with his wife and some of the Chinese staff of Finland Home Cafe, his cozy eatery tucked away on Pingjiang Road — a historical and cultural block in the heart of Suzhou's well-preserved old town. "My wife and I chose to open the cafe here because we wanted to immerse ourselves in the very essence of Suzhou culture," Aflatuni said. "Walking down Pingjiang Road, you can feel the 2,500-year history of this charming water town."

Suzhou, dubbed "Venice in the East" by 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco Polo, is celebrated not only for the beauty of its winding canals, elegant bridges and classical gardens — but also for its rich cultural heritage, which includes pingtan, the city's distinctive style of ballad.

Calling himself "a Suzhou local", Aflatuni has even learned to sing pingtan songs in the Suzhou dialect. This year, he performed at the local Spring Festival gala, blending the graceful art of pingtan with the rhythms of an Iranian drum.

Watching fireworks during Spring Festival is another item on the must-do list for Aflatuni. He still remembers the dazzling fireworks display on the eve of the festival in 1999. The sky was alive with color for hours, a spectacle that left him mesmerized.

That was his first Spring Festival in China, after he had assumed the post of deputy general manager of Finnish multinational Nokia's Suzhou branch.

"The branch was located in the Suzhou Industrial Park on the outskirts of the city. When we first got there, it was mostly paddy fields and fish ponds," Aflatuni said. "Over the years, the SIP has blossomed into a remarkable industrial hub."

As China's first intergovernmental cooperation project with Singapore, the SIP symbolizes the country's reform and opening-up, while also reflecting its rapid modernization and the development of an open economy, according to Duan Jinjun, a professor at the Business School of Soochow University.

"The city's blend of ancient traditions and modern innovation makes it ideal for foreign visitors eager to immerse themselves in Spring Festival, offering a glimpse of both traditional and contemporary China," Duan said.

Thanks to a 240-hour visa-free transit policy, many international travelers packed their bags and headed to China to soak up the festive atmosphere.

Suzhou, a popular destination, was well prepared to welcome visitors with over 1,100 festive activities on offer in the course of the eight-day holiday period, local culture and tourism authorities reported.

Minnie Ang, a Singaporean living in Suzhou, said that she has friends from Australia, Singapore and Switzerland who celebrated this year's Spring Festival in the city.

Ang's parents moved to the SIP in 2008 to establish Orientech Fine Blanking, a manufacturing company in the automotive industry. Five years ago, she joined the company and has since made Suzhou her second home. "Suzhou has a way of pulling you in," Ang said, reflecting on how deeply the city has impacted her life, and on how the SIP reminds her of Singapore.

According to official data, Suzhou is home to around 30,000 foreign nationals, ranking first in Jiangsu.

Xinhua