Where to celebrate Chinese New Year?
Visit some of the top destinations of the Chinese New Year and experience the major festival to its best.
Many insist that probably the best time to visit China is the Chinese New Year. During the half-month celebration period, countless exciting events are taking place in different cities attracting many tourists and locals. Lively parades and fairs are organized in many regions and colorful costumes and delicious food dominates the festivity.
Here follows a list with the major destinations in the country during the Chinese New Year.
Beijing
Is the Chinese New Year the best period to visit Beijing?
The major question that arises when it comes to celebrating the Chinese New Year in Beijing is whether or not it is a good choice to celebrate the festival at the capital and third largest (in population) city of China.
Many potential visitors are wondering if their sightseeing, shopping, and dining activities are going to be affected by closed businesses and shops (due to bank holiday) or by the overcrowded status of the major attractions.
Like many things in life, this is actually a coin with two sides.
Pros
+ As expected from a huge capital like Beijing, it offers an endless list of alternatives when it comes to events, attractions, and opportunities to celebrate.
+ Additionally, the tourism-related businesses do not convert their schedule due to the holiday.
+ It is a mega-capital where everything goes fast. In that environment, the tourist is not in the center of interest. This fact offers the opportunity to merge into the rhythm of the city and experience the festival as a local.
+ The temple fairs that are taking place in the city are among the best events to visit during the Chinese New Year in China.
+ Beijing is generally a nice winter destination and the food you can try in the city, especially during that period, is just amazing.
Cons
- The last years and after some restrictions introduced by the local authorities the firework events are not as extended as during the past.
- Almost everything is crowded by domestic tourists while the locals choose to spend this period mostly at home gathering with family members, eating delicious food and watching the famous CCTV Spring Festival Gala.
- Many local businesses (except for the tourism-related) are closed and the major attractions might have odd opening hours, while there is always the risk to be sold out when it comes to tickets.
- During the Chinese new year period, it can be really cold in Beijing.
As someone can easily understand, it is a bit more challenging to visit Beijing during this period of the year, but the number and the quality of alternatives, plus the spirit of this capital make it anyway an ideal destination. The only someone needs to have, in order to experience an amazing New Year celebration in the city is some pre-knowledge, a bit of pre-planning and festive attitude!
Hong Kong
One of the best destination to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
There is no doubt that Hong Kong holds one of the most spectacular Chinese New Year celebrations in China.
The local authorities invest all kinds of resources in the organization of the festival with a great level of success. Through the years and due to insisting efforts, Hong Kong became a major destination for celebrating the Chinese New Year.
It is a favorite destination for families and thousands of tourists visit the city during the celebration period. The most significant festivity attractions are:
Fireworks Show
It is definitely the most iconic event that takes place at Victoria Harbor on the second day of the holiday. The firework display is a tradition for the city since 1982 and every year attracts over 400.000 people who approach the waterfront to enjoy this breathtaking demonstration.
Night Parade
The Night Parade takes place on the evening of the Chinese New Year’s day at Tsim Sha Tuis Promenade. It is quite similar to carnival parades and among the participants, there are many groups from all over the world. Marching bands, floats and performance groups lead the celebration, while the famous lion and dragon dances are the highlight of the event.
Horse Racing
The first Horse Racing of the year is held on the third day of the lunar Chinese New Year at the Sha Tin Racecourse. According to the tradition, the New Year celebration is related to luckiness and many people choose to try their luck with some betting at the horse racing. The event includes traditional performances as well as the lion dance which attracts many attendants.
New Year Flower Markets
The Chinese New Year’s Eve is the opening day of 14 open-air markets in the city of Hong Kong. For 6 days they are visited by thousands of locals and tourists. It is a custom for family members to visit them after the New Year’s dinner, while the largest flower markets are taking place at Victoria and Fa Hui Park.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
It is an emblematic temple of Hong Kong and for sure one of the most visited attractions. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin who was a shepherd who used the knowledge obtained by an immortal to cure people’s illnesses. Today, and especially during New Year’s celebrations, it is visited by those who are seeking good fortune for the upcoming year.
Harbin
Experiencing the Chinese New Year in a "ice kingdom".
Another interesting region to celebrate the Chinese New Year is the city of Harbin which is located in the north-east part of China. Harbin is well-known for the “Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival” that is hosted in the city.
It is an annual festival starting at the beginning of January and lasts for one month until the end of February. This is one of the most famous snow festivals at a worldwide level, where someone can find amazing sculptures and full-scale buildings made from ice blocks coming from Songhua River.
At the New Year period, the “Ice Lantern Sculpture Expo” is added to the snow festival and includes sculptures and events related to the New Year celebration. So, at the beginning of February, Zhaolin Park becomes the center of festivity and enormous numbers of visitors enjoy performances and parades between the stunning frozen sculptures.
Xian
A New Year celebration with strong ties to the roots of Chinese culture.
Xian is an ancient Chinese city and many scholars refer to it as the historical center of the establishing of the Chinese state.
Xian celebrates the Chinese New Year to the greatest extent since beautiful decorations dominate the city landmarks and the majority of its’ buildings for at least one and a half months.
At the New Year celebration, the visitor has the opportunity to observe cultural shows and performances as well as delicious food.
One of the highlights is the bell-ringing ceremony at the Wild Goose Pagoda on the day of New Year's Eve. Thousands of locals and visitors attend the song and dance performances, while the open markets and the fairs offer the chance to taste sweet snacks and special recipes of the area.
Guangzhou
A colorful Lunar Year destination that offers many choices for the whole family.
The city of Guangzhou brings a real spring feeling during the Chinese New year celebration.
Here, someone can find three big flower fairs. The Xi Hu, the Tian He, and the Li Wan flower fair. The whole city is also fully-decorated with lanterns and lights, while street performances are taking place during the festival period.
The Lion and the dragon dances have a prominent role at the festivity too. Professional dancers bring a sense of happiness during the parades and the firecrackers offer a spectacular show.
At the lantern festival on the last day of the Chinese New year celebration, the Guangfu Temple fair becomes the center of the feast with live performances, parades and handicraft shows.
