Expect the streets to be filled to the brim. People flock from all over to participate in street festivals and to see what goods the vendors have to offer.
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A traditional food enjoyed during Chinese New Year is jiaozi, dumplings stuffed with beef, pork, eggs or an assortment of vegetables. New Year’s Eve is a popular time to eat them due to their resemblance to ancient forms of money.
Photography Thinkstock
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Improve your chances for prosperity in the New Year by visiting Yonghe Temple in Beijing during Chunjie, when visitors light long incense sticks and pray for good fortune.
Photography Thinkstock
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There’s no better way to start the New Year than by enjoying the company of family and friends, and feasting on plate after plate of delicious cuisine and sweet desserts. The custom of eating yu sheng, a traditional raw fish salad, is made even more symbolic by uttering the phrase nian nian you yu as you add the fish during preparation to wish for an affluent year ahead. Or, indulge your sweet tooth as you dip into a customary Chinese candy box filled with sugary dried fruits, chocolates and other tasty treats.
Photography courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
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Watch the night sky come alive as fireworks light up every corner with beautiful colours. Traditionally, fireworks and firecrackers are lit to rid the city of the nian, a bringer of bad luck.
Photography courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
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Another traditional food of the New Year is Mandarin oranges, which are thought to bring wealth and good fortune. They are often displayed throughout the festivities and given as gifts to friends and family.
Photography courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
According to the Chinese calendar, 2013 marks the Year of the Snake, bringing with it a focus on attention to detail as well as progress. This year, Chunjie, or Chinese New Year, falls on February 10, and the 15-day long celebration that follows will have revelers feasting on delicious traditional cuisine, watching the night sky light up with a beautiful array of fireworks, and seeing red and gold lanterns (symbolising good luck, wealth and happiness) around every corner.
This annual spring celebration is perhaps one of the best times to experience China. With tasty foods, amazing light shows and street festivals held around the clock, the nation’s vibrant and unique culture is on full display. Click through our gallery to learn about a few customs that take place during Chinese New Year.
Looking for more ways to get involved in the festivities? Have Family Will Travel has a great kid-friendly recipe for nian gio, a traditional cake shared by families as they gather on New Year’s Eve. And over at Taste, chefs from Four Seasons around Asia share their favourite holiday recipes, paired with the traditions and significance behind each beloved dish.
