Chinese New Year and Other Festivals in China

Also known as Spring Festival, it is the most important traditional holiday in China. It is a time for family reunions, feasting, and gift-giving. The celebration usually lasts for 15 days, from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival. Activities include cleaning houses, decorating windows and doors with red paper-cuts, setting off firecrackers, giving money in red paper envelopes, dragon and lion dances, and lantern festivals.

This is one of the world's largest ice and snow festivals and it takes place in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. The festival begins on January 5th and lasts for over one month. The festival includes the world's biggest ice sculptures and features various kinds of activities such as ice and snow carnival, international ice sculptures competition, ice lantern show, winter swimming, and ice hotels.

Shanghai, being one of the most modern cities in China, hosts a grand New Year's Eve countdown. The event is usually held at the Bund, which is a famous waterfront area. The countdown is accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display and performances by famous artists. It is a popular event among both locals and tourists.

The New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony is a traditional event in Beijing. It is held at the Bell Tower, where the bell is struck 108 times to ring in the New Year. The number 108 is significant in Buddhism, symbolizing the 108 kinds of worries and troubles in life that people hope to get rid of in the New Year.

The Guangzhou Flower Fair is an annual event that takes place during the Chinese New Year. The fair is held in several main streets in Guangzhou, which are filled with all kinds of flowers and miniature landscapes. It is a tradition for locals to buy flowers and plants at the fair, as they believe that these will bring them good luck in the New Year.