Out-of-town students staying at universities in Shanghai will still get to celebrate Chinese New Year, which falls on February 12 this year.

Usually, students would return home for family reunions during the Spring Festival, but this year, governments at all levels encourage people tostay where they are to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Donghua University has arranged a series of activities, including paper-cutting, writing festive couplets and having delicious meals, to celebrate the important occasion. It has also given out gift packs to students from impoverished families.

“At first, when I decided to stay on campus, I was a little bit upset as I was going to spend the Spring Festival without family for the first time,” said Wang Tianxin, from Xingtai of Hebei Province, which is a medium-risk pandemic area.

“But my teachers, classmates and dorm managers all have been extremely caring. They’ve made me feel like home though away from family.”

To ease her financial burden, the university has arranged a part-time job at a university office.

Wang Gang, a researcher at the university’s laboratory for modification of chemical fibers, is working with his students on experiments, collecting lab data and analyzing results. They are working on a program to develop printing transistors and semiconductor fibers, which can be used on wearable digital devices.

“Time is precious for us as competition in scientific research is a very fierce,” he said. “We have to seize every minute to work on our research.”

To ensure students feel the festive atmosphere on campus, the university canteens have prepared a New Year’s Eve dinner for them on February 11. They can also enjoy free dumplings on February 11 and 12, the Lunar New Year’s Day.

There are also other activities, such as online courses, lectures, reading clubs, dancing classes, martial arts training, calligraphy and singing, for students to enrich their life during the winter vacation.

East China University of Science and Technology has its canteens decorated with red lanterns to create a Spring Festival atmosphere for students remaining on campus, including about 600 postgraduates.

To ease students’ homesickness, canteens are offering various cuisine to enable them to have a taste of their hometowns. The university launched an online solicitation and vote for favorite hometown dishes to decide on the menus.

During the festival, there will be noodles with fried fish or beef with auspicious meanings for a wealthy and flourishing life.

Meanwhile, 10 ayi who manage dorms have knitted more than 100 scarves, hats and gloves for students for the winter. They are also helping students with cleaning and delivery of fruit and milk.