Chinese road constructor bridges cultures in Namibia while celebrating Chinese Spring festival

WINDHOEK, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese workers and their local counterparts with Zhong Mei Engineering Group, the Chinese company that had contracted to construct the Phase 2B project of a freeway connecting Windhoek, the Namibian capital, to Hosea Kutako International Airport to the east of Windhoek, on Saturday celebrated the Chinese Spring Festival with style.

The Chinese Spring Festival, marking the start of the new year on the lunar Chinese calendar, is the most important cultural holiday for people of Chinese origin. It fell on Jan. 29 this year.

Zhong Mei Engineering Group is involved in various rehabilitation works and is often highlighted as a key player in upgrading Namibia's road networks.

Project manager Tu Jinsheng told Xinhua that due to project schedule requirements, the team continued construction without any suspension during the holiday period. "We aim to complete the road opening by the end of August 2025," he said.

Namibians engaged in the construction of the project embraced the festivities and engaged in traditional Chinese games while bonding. Their Chinese counterparts taught them how to make dumplings as part of their celebratory activities.

"We enjoyed today. We should engage in this more often," said one of the local project workers as he enjoyed his dumplings.

According to Tu, the 21.3-km dual-carriage freeway, which commenced construction on Sept. 30, 2021, is set for completion on Sept. 2, 2025.

In December 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Spring Festival, the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. ■