Fellow Belgian Tobias Le Compte, who has lived in China for around a decade and speaks the Shanghai dialect fluently, greeted others with a hearty "Happy Chinese New Year" in the local tongue.

"I learned Shanghai's culture and language, so I try to promote that all over the world and try to inspire people," Le Compte said.

Adding to the array of experiences, visitors also tried traditional block printing and cosplay, offering hands-on ways to explore broader aspects of Chinese cultural heritage.

Reflecting on the value of such cultural encounters, Pau offered advice to international visitors: "They should try to find very local places, talk with local people, and try to live like a local.

"That's a very good experience if you come to China for the first time."

Li Junfeng contributed to this story.