Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is China's most important holiday — a time of family reunions, feasts, fireworks, and red envelopes. Because it follows the lunar calendar, the date changes each year. Here's what you need to know.
Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice — typically between late January and mid-February. The holiday period officially lasts about 7 days, though celebrations extend for two weeks until the Lantern Festival.
The celebrations run from the eve of the new year (Reunion Dinner) through the Lantern Festival on the 15th day. The most intense period is the first week, when most of China travels home — the world's largest annual human migration.
Key customs include the family reunion dinner, setting off fireworks, giving red envelopes (hongbao) with money, decorating with spring couplets, and the lion and dragon dances. Each year is associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals.
This is both a magical and a challenging time to travel: many businesses close, and transport is packed as people return home. If you travel during Spring Festival, book trains and hotels months in advance, and expect some attractions to have altered hours.
For a memorable experience, visit a city's temple fair, watch the fireworks displays, and join the celebrations in public squares. Staying with a local family (through a homestay) offers the most authentic reunion-dinner experience.
Many restaurants and shops close for several days, so plan meals ahead. Major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an still have plenty open for tourists, but smaller towns may be quiet. The days just after the festival are a lovely, less crowded time to visit.