What You Need to Know About Chinese New Year and Where to Travel in China to Experience It

If there is one celebration that really demonstrates the heart of Chinese culture it is the Chinese New Year. Also called Spring Festival, it is a season of tradition, family, joy and renewal.

 I was fortunate enough for it to happen to me when I was touring China and ended up being one of the most memorable parts of my trip.

 As I wanted to experience a stress-free trip, I booked a airport parking Heathrow to enjoy a luxurious start of my journey.

 Chinese New Year is not a holiday only. It’s a whole experience, which takes about two weeks, and which fills the streets, homes, and hearts of people with excitement.

 

What is Chinese New Year?

 

Chinese New Year, unlike the New Year celebrated in many places on January 1st, follows the lunar calendar. It is normally in late January and mid-February. It starts on January 29 in 2025 and will greet the Year of the Snake.

 The festival takes 15 days and is followed by the Lantern Festival. In this time, families meet to eat, remember the dead and pray for a good and prosperous year to come. Cities and villages come to life with lights, color and sound. Buildings have red lanterns, fireworks illuminate the night, and people smell the aroma of traditional food.

 The energy was one of the things I observed. Wherever I went, I saw people smiling, doing their gift shopping, and getting ready for family dinners.

 In Beijing, on New Year’s Eve there were the sound of firecrackers for hours. I slept so poorly, but truly, I didn’t care.

 Note: Don’t forget to check Meet And Greet Stansted and book according to your needs.

Traditions You Will See

 Some of the customs that make Chinese New Year to be special include: Among the most common ones is:

 Family Dinners

The most important meal is on New Year’s eve. Families reunite to share traditional food such as dumplings, rice cakes and whole fish, all of which are supposed to bring luck and prosperity.

 Red Decorations

Red is a color of good luck, so everywhere you will see red banners, paper cuttings, lanterns. People also wear red clothes, and they give red envelopes called hongbao filled with money for children and unmarried relatives.

 Temple Visits

On the first day of the New Year, many people go to temples to pray for health, happiness and luck. The quiet of the temples is a beautiful contrast to the racket of the fireworks outside.

Lantern Festival

On the 15th day the festival is concluded with the Lantern Festival. People light and release lanterns into the sky or they hang them around their houses and streets. It’s a tranquil and significant way to end the celebrations.

 

Best Destinations for Travel in China During the Chinese New Year

Beijing

The capital is busy at the Spring Festival. The temple fairs, such as the one in Ditan Park are one of the event’s attractions, where you can watch traditional performances and try festival foods. The Forbidden City and the old hutongs are also worthy to be seen to see how history and tradition come together.

Shanghai

Shanghai is a nice mixture of modern as well as traditional celebrations. Yuyuan Garden is very lovely on the Lantern Festival when thousands of lanterns are lit. You can also eat local street food and watch lion dances in the older parts of the city.

 Xi’an

This is a city of rich history, and Chinese New Year is simply magic on top of that. Parades, Tang Dynasty costumes and light shows can be observed around Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It’s a wonderful place to enjoy culture and celebration at the same time.