Top 1: Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the most popular destinations to celebrate Chinese New Year. Highlights of Hong Kong Chinese New Year celebrations are Extravaganza Firework Display, Chinese New Year Parade, Lion & Dragon Dance, Horse Racing and Wong Tai Sin Temple, among which the world class firework display over Victoria harbour, Chinese New Year international night parade and authentic lion & dragon dance are the most expected every year.
Extravaganza Firework Display
The computer controlled magnificent firework show over Victoria harbour every Chinese New Year eve in Hong Kong is truly a “must-see”. It is one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in the world. There is no admission charge, you can watch along the waterfront or from anywhere in sight of the Victoria Harbour skies. Victoria peek, Avenue of star, they all provide a wonderful view of this breathtaking top-class firework show that lasts approximately 25 minutes.
Chinese New Year Parade
The Chinese New Year night parade in Hong Kong is a fabulous parade of floats together with marching bands, troupes of acrobats formed by both international and local performers, lively lions & dragons making their way along the Tsim Sha Tsuji Streets. You could also see the Disney favored cartoon characters dressing in Chinese tradition gears wishing you a happy new year along the way!
Lion & Dragon Dance
Lion Dances and Dragon dances are an essential for celebrating Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. In Chinese Culture, Lions, drums, gongs and firecrackers is believed could scare away the bad spirits and bring in the good luck in the coming year. Therefore, hundreds of troupes are parading throughout the streets during Chinese New Year. Regardless of where you are tripping around town, you will be able to catch one at some point.
Chinese New Year Horse Racing
Chinese New Year Horse Racing is held on the third day (February 18th, 2018) of the lunar Chinese New Year at Sha Tin Race course. It is one of the most popular race events of the year. As lunar Chinese New Year is an auspicious time to try your luck to gain some good fortune. Traditional festivities such as grand opening show, lion dance, a variety of cultural and entertainment performances will be performed on this day.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
Make a wish in Wong Tai Sin temple. Wong Tai Sin Temple (黄大仙祠) is one of the most visited and worshipped temple in Hong Kong. According to the legend, Wong Tai Sin was a humble shepherd who was taught by an immortal to help people cure illnesses and stay healthy. He will always answer to those who prayed and need help. During Chinese New Year, the temple is always overflowed with locals and tourists to come and pray for a good fortune for next year.
Top 2: Beijing
The mother of all celebrations happens, truly, in the country that started it all. Beijing, China’s capital city combines classical tradition practices with modern prosperity. Highlights of chinese new year celebration in Beijing are Authentic Temple Fairs，Ditan Park Temple Fair，Dongyue Temple Fair and Longtan Park Fair, carnivals, lion & dragon dance shows, firecrackers displays and acrobats parades. Among them the colorful temple fairs here represent the traditional customs of Beijing during Chinese Spring Festival. Reenactment of the Qing-Style Sacred Ceremony at the Ditan Temple Fair is definitely a “must-see”.
Ditan Park Temple Fair
The reason why Ditan Temple Fair has become a “must-see” is the reenactment of an imperial ceremony from the Qing Dynasty. The “emperor” selected from locals leading his crew of more than a 100 performers in this ceremony bring visitors back to a bygone era. The theme of the ceremony is the “emperor” worships the gods and pray for a peaceful and prosperous year for his nation and people. The ceremony will be performed at 10:00 every morning during the third day to the seventh day of the lunar year.
During the Fair many a variety of local artist troupes and acrobats will deliver amazing parades. Traditional snacks, handicrafts, hundreds of stalls selling local snacks, antiques and curios and a whole lot of people will together join the joy and share the authentic New Year ambience.
Dongyue Temple Fair
Dating back to Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368), Dongyue Temple Fair is one of the oldest temple fairs in Beijing. It is a temple fair that carries traditional authentic Chinese ancient culture.
Longtan Temple Fair
Compare to other temple fairs, Long Tan temple fair is more favored by local younger generations. Longtan temple fair has many authentic traditional food stands, interesting hand crafts and open-air activities on the frozen lake.
Top 3: Xian
With a long history, Xian is where China get its national spirit started in the first place thousands year ago. Here the locals get more sense of Chinese traditions and Chinese characters. During Chinese New Year, Xian ancient city walls and lots of landmark buildings will be well decorated with all kinds of lanterns. Ringing the traditional Chinese ambience all over the city and showing a great view of truly traditional Chinese New Year sprits.
With all the traditional decorations around the whole city and busy modern vehicles and traffics bustling around, you can feel the pulse of this ancient city. In the Muslim Street and Small Wild Goose Pagoda area, various had crafts, delicious street venders, traditional music artistS performing along the street, lion and dragon dance, paper-cutting, sugar figurine making and other cultural heritage shows will highlight your Xian trip.
Top 4: Guangzhou
Flower Fairs
Guangzhou is known for its flower fairs held annually during the Spring Festival. The major flower fairs in Guangzhou are Xi hu Flower Fair, Tian he Flower Fair, Li wan Flower Fair. They normally start 3 days ahead of the lunar Chinese New Year (Spring Festival). During the flower fairs, many streets of the city will be decorated with beautiful fresh flowers together with red lanterns and traditional Chinese character decorations. Walking along those beautiful decorated streets where the fragrant of fresh flowers is spreading will definitely give you a fresh happy feeling of the coming New Year. Plus there will be many folk performances and local artists working and demonstrating their works along the fairs.
Lion & Dragon Dance
Lion & Dragon dances during Chinese spring festival are essential to Guangdong. Lion & Dragon Dances performances are believed to bring good fortune and to scare away evil spirits. Many restaurants and shopping malls will hire professional lion & dragon team to deliver a show in front of their shop to usher in good fortune and prosperous business for next year. The lion’s movements are accompanied by firecrackers and loud drums and the lion and dragon dance itself is a combination of traditional arts meaning and Chinese kung-fu skills and practice.
Top 5: Harbin
Spend Chinese New Year in Harbin will provide you a truly white Christmas experience. The festival officially started on 5th January annually, given its operating time is during lunar Chinese New Year, the Harbin Ice & Festival has become a popular visited event during Chinese New Year. Every year it attracts thousands of tourists to join this amazing winter wonderland both home and aboard. Together with Japan Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada Quebec Winter Carnival and Norway Holmenkollen Ski Festival, Harbin International Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival is one of the world’s top four ice & snow festivals. Excellent sculpture artists come from Russia, Japan, Canada, France and many other countries to display their astounding art work at Ice & Snow World, Sun Island, Stalin Park, Zhaolin Park in Harbin.
There will be wonderful Ice Lantern Sculpture Expo holds at Zhaolin Park which will be a popular place to go during Chinese New Year. Plus, there are many winter activities on frozen Songhua River such as winter ski & snowboard sport in Yabuli ski resort, Swimming in the Songhua River, ice golf and ice archery… you can never miss home during this month-long ice & snow white Christmas winter wonderland in Harbin!
