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The Ultimate Guide to Chinese New Year

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Red couplets, fireworks, feasts, and family reunions—Chunjie, or the Spring Festival, ushers in the new year on China’s traditional calendar with joy and the warmth of home. In late 2024, Chunjie was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, highlighting its deep roots in mythology, rituals, and traditions that stretch back thousands of years and continue to evolve today. As such, social transformation, cultural shifts, and generational divides also surface in a variety of holiday-related discussions and debates each year. Chunjie acts as a mirror reflecting China’s past, present, and future. From history and myths to featured reporting, personal accounts, photo stories, food, and language, dive into our holiday collection below to explore what keeps the Spring Festival alive.

Myths and History

Uncover the history of Chinese New Year, from the mythical beast Nian to the evolution of ancient traditions and legends

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Nian: The Monster Behind Chinese New Year

The myth that inspired firecrackers and the color red for Chinese New Year

ANCIENT HISTORY

When Exactly was New Year in Ancient China?

The date and means of celebrating a new year changed and evolved over centuries in ancient China

MODERN HISTORY

How Did China End Up Celebrating Two New Years?

In the early 20th century, China tried to ban its millennia-old lunar calendar in the name of modernity—with mixed success

ARTS

How the Lunar New Year Was Celebrated in Ancient Chinese Poetry

Changing depictions of the Lunar New Year in ancient Chinese poetry

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Celebrating Chinese Little New Year

China’s Lunar New Year celebrations begin with rituals and offerings to the kitchen god

ARTS

How Ancient Chinese Poets Celebrated the Lantern Festival

Five ancient poems that celebrate the first full moon of a new Lunar New Year

Spring Festival Today

Should holiday fireworks be banned for safety and environmental reasons? What is the annual migration like from the city to rural homes? Discover what the holiday means for everyday Chinese people.

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Ban or Bang? China’s Fireworks Paradox

Why does the land that invented fireworks and firecrackers prohibit them in so many places?

LIVING IN CHINA

Home Bound

Once a sacred family obligation, the annual migration home for Spring Festival increasingly brings feelings of alienation and culture shock for China’s urbanizing population

TRAVEL

Pigs and Party Games: Celebrating Lunar New Year, Dongbei Style

Folk customs and culture of Northeast China during the Lunar New Year

MODERN HISTORY

How the TV Stole Spring Festival

First airing live in 1983, CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala didn’t just change TV—it changed the way China celebrates the Lunar New Year

TRAVEL

Stories from China’s Spring Migration

Memories of homecoming and misadventure during China’s busiest travel season

SOCIETY

Stories from China’s Spring Migration, Part 2

A boat trip gone awry and kindness from strangers: more reminisces from China’s busiest travel season

Photo Stories

From leaping into fire for good fortune to parades with kids dressed as gods, explore stunning photos showcasing Lunar New Year celebrations across China

Food

Not just dumplings—explore the rich and diverse culinary traditions of the Lunar New Year throughout China

FOOD

Give Me Anything But Dumplings this Lunar New Year

What other foods do Chinese eat during the Lunar New Year?

FOOD

The Kitchen God’s Candy

A sweet tradition to start the Spring Festival season

FOOD

On a Spring Roll

Spring rolls are considered a classic Chinese food, but did you know they actually come in many varieties across the country?

FOOD

What’s for Dinner: Diverse New Year ‘Reunion Meals’ Around China

Many Chinese New Year traditions revolve around a family dinner, but what’s on the table varies greatly from region to region

FOOD

Batter with Rice: Everything You Need to Know About Yuanxiao

More than just a Lantern Festival snack, glutinous rice balls have many regional variations and modern spins

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Laba: Not Just Porridge

Buddhist worship, court cooking ceremonies, and other festivities for the eighth day of the 12th lunar month

Chinese New Year Language Guide

Check out our holiday language guide, from dodging nosy marriage questions to planning post-holiday weight loss, along with key Chinese idioms and phrases

More than Chunjie

As a multi-ethnic nation, China celebrates not only the Lunar New Year but also many other New Years. Explore the unique traditions and customs of ethnic minority New Years.

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Celebrate the Hani New Year with the World’s Longest Feast

Despite being a relatively new tradition, Lüchun’s Long Street Banquet has, in just 20 years, attracted world-record numbers of tourists and become a major event on the Hani ethnic calendar

TRADITIONAL CULTURE

Tsampa Fights and Surprises: The Evolving Fortunes of Tibetan New Year

Two young Tibetans recall how the festivities of Losar, the traditional New Year on the Plateau, have changed and stayed the same since their childhood

TRAVEL

Yak of All Trades: Tibetan New Year with Herders on the Plateau

A New Year celebration on the plateau showcases modern Tibetan herding culture