An Irish city erupts into a boisterous jamboree as people celebrate St. Patrick's Day on the streets. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Empty streets flip into a fun fair.

A quiet city erupts into a boisterous jamboree.

And everything is green.

So recalls Bao Huiyi of March 17 (St. Patrick's Day)－a magical day in Ireland.

Bao is the author of The Annals of the Emerald Isle, a collection of essays written during her stay in Ireland, when she was studying Old and Middle English at University College Dublin from 2011 to 2015.

"I went to the (St. Patrick's Day) parade every year and missed it only once, because you seldom see so many people in Ireland at other times," says Bao.

At first, she went to the event seeking novelty－everyone was dressed in green, wearing green hats and green makeup.