For many, Chinese New Year is about family reunion. I'm a single, South African media worker in my 30s, and most of my family lives on the east coast of South Africa – until February 2024, when a little cousin of mine moved from Durban, South Africa to Sichuan, Chengdu Province.

Cousin Dale was about to start his work life as a kindergarten teacher in Chengdu. This was his second job since graduating from university, and his first time working overseas. I felt a sense of loyalty to my aunt, his grandmother, to go check on him. Being the caring older cousin that I am, I packed an air fryer in my suitcase for him and flew from Beijing to southwest China. I wasn't savvy enough at the time to have figured out how to ship the appliance ahead of me.

But first, there was Chongqing. There was a little reason for me to go all the way to southwest China and miss out one of the country's most famous cities. With its steep inclines, never-ending escalators and staircases, tall buildings perched on hillsides and hot pot restaurants located in daring locations, it beckoned with its unique charm.

What I found in Chongqing was a city that offered both relaxing spaces and the bustle of a metropolis. I spent two nights at a palatial hot spring hotel on the outskirts of the city and felt soothed after looking at views of a lake and soaking in relaxing warm water. Later, the views of the Jialing and Changjiang rivers in the inner city took my breath away. The best part of my Chongqing trip was eating hot pot in a cave. The city's World War II bomb shelters have been undergoing renovations for years and have been creatively transformed. Now, many tourists visit the caves to try the region's famous mala (numbingly spicy) hot pot – and I couldn't resist either.

After Chongqing, I took a train to meet my cousin. I checked into a hotel in the southwest of the city where he lived and then pitched up at his apartment. I think he was delighted to see me. Being the good cousin that I am, and knowing the habits of the young, I brought some bed linen for him. He told me he wasn't planning to buy additional linen, so this was good older-cousin thinking on my part.

Dale already seemed comfortable in his new surroundings. The apartment was located in the same residential community as the kindergarten where he would begin work. We walked around his new neighborhood, finding the supermarkets and other amenities. The aroma of mala broth wafted from every corner. It's not a stereotype. Chengdu is serious about its spicy hot pot. On the ground floor of his apartment block were no less than two hot pot restaurants. Families queued outside to get in, many of whom were fine to dine outside amid the slight chill of spring. Dale and I sat inside at one of the restaurants as he tucked into his first hot pot. I was happy to share this experience with him and chat about his hopes for his time in China. As I watched him maneuver chopsticks and power through the spicy tastes, we reflected on the similarities to the flavors of Durban's famous mutton curry.  

We had a day for an outing during my holiday there, and my cousin and I had a difference of opinion. I wanted to visit the Sanxingdui Museum to explore one of China's oldest civilizations, and he wanted to see pandas, I guess because they're cute and we were in Chengdu. The Sanxingdui relics are in Guanghan County, Deyang, which felt like a bit of a distance from where we were. He also pointed out that the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding had a good museum. So, I let him win, and we set off to see the pandas.

It was an afternoon well spent. We navigated public transport, subways and a few buses, and arrived at the base. I think Dale was a lucky charm. Whenever he was near me, we managed to get really good views of the pandas. We admired them for hours, waiting for a particular one to wave at us – which was something his colleague said might happen. Considered the world's largest giant panda conservation center, the base is home to more than 240 giant pandas. The museum at the base was interactive and insightful, giving us information about the history of human interaction with pandas, their anatomy and their environment. We felt both entertained and informed. While waiting for a bus to go home, a woman sat next to us and struck up a conversation. I introduced Dale and I in Chinese and happily called him "biaodi," meaning "little cousin."

I had reunited with a family member I care about; I'd seen a new place in China, eaten spicy dishes alongside locals, rested a bit and learned new things. I left southwest China after that holiday with my heart full.