Millions Travel Home for Lunar New Year Reunions

When 22-year-old Coco Zhang spotted the cheeky Australian Firefighters Calendar in a Melbourne mall, she knew exactly what to bring her mom back in Shanghai. "My mum says it was fantastic. She never saw something like that before," Zhang laughs.

Zhang is one of millions making the journey home for Lunar New Year, which starts today. After six months studying in Melbourne, she booked her ticket with one goal in mind: being with family again.

For Asian Australians, the annual pilgrimage means packing bags full of gifts that bridge two worlds. Queenslander Jeong Hoon Bae loaded his luggage with Australian chocolates, chips, and soft kangaroo toys for his niece and nephew in South Korea. "They all loved it, and they wondered why they hadn't been imported," he says.

But the journey home isn't just about giving gifts. It's about receiving something money can't buy: a taste of home.

Barry Han, who's been studying in Melbourne for five years, returned to his hometown of Kaifeng, China, with a food bucket list. "I want to taste everything I miss for such a long time," he says, eager to try soup dumplings, chicken blood soup, and even donkey soup from his region.

Bae agrees that while Korean BBQ has become popular in Australia, eating it in South Korea hits different. "In Korea it has a bit more authenticity," he explains.

Zhang has been craving hot pot, "because traditional hot pot is hard to find in Melbourne." She's also planning to revisit restaurants she used to frequent with family and friends, places that hold memories from before her Australian adventure began.

The Ripple Effect

These journeys do more than reunite families. They weave cultural threads between continents, keeping traditions alive across oceans.

Han, whose hometown is "a very traditional, cultural zone of China," will follow a rigid ceremonial schedule during the 10-day festival. It's a stark contrast to his low-key Melbourne celebrations. Bae plans to perform sebae, the traditional deep bow to senior family members, something he doesn't do when celebrating in Australia.

"Seeing my parents again, just being with my family, having family food and the loving atmosphere, I think it's the biggest takeaway for the trip," Zhang reflects.

Despite expensive airfares and exhausting travel, millions are proving that some connections are worth any distance.