Chinese New Year
Spring Festival or Chinese New Year - China’s Biggest Holiday
By far the most important festival or National Holiday to the Chinese is the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year as it is also called. It is a time for families to come together and as such could probably be most related to Christmas in the West.
In a country with so many migrant workers and with the country being such a huge place it means there are a lot of people travelling back to their homes from across China, in fact it makes for the largest human migration seen anywhere and at anytime in human history. This migration increases in size year after year as more and more people find themselves living and working in cities that aren’t their hometowns and I will always remember the staggering decrease in the population of Beijing when Spring Festival comes around.
Chinese New Year dates back to the Shang Dynasty
The festival itself vastly predates Christmas, it being in the region of 4,000 years old. It originated in the Shang Dynasty around the 17th to 11th Century BC. It is based on the Chinese lunar calendar and therefore falls at a different date in the western calendar every year some time in January or February. In traditional custom it begins on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month and runs until the 15th day of the first lunar month which is signified by the Lantern Festival. The New Year’s Eve and Day are by far the most important dates in the whole festival. If you happen to be on China tours during this time then you will want to take in one of the temple fairs that occur during this time. Masses flock to these events held in major parks and there’s singing dancing and much of that favourite New Year tradition – eating.
On the New Year’s Eve families get together and feast – with dinner likely to go on for most of the evening with many a toast to health, wealth and happiness for the coming year being made with local alcohol. Once everyone can’t possibly fit another mouthful in the Mah Jong set will come out and the gambling commences!
Nearing midnight people will take to the streets to let off firecrackers to such an extent that in a city like Beijing the sound will be deafening. In the early hours of the morning it is time to make the “jiaozi” dumplings together and the next round of eating will soon begin!
Article originally posted by Phil Stanley and Headseast: 18th November 2013
Yangtze River Cruises
The Yangtze River or “Yangzi” is part of many China tours and holidays but how much do
Yangshuo Tours
When people are planning their China tour, the emphasis often seems to be on taking in as
Why Visit Beijing
When planning a tour in China there really isn't an itinerary that isn't going to include
Walk the Great Wall
Without a doubt the most famous attraction that there is in China and quite possibly one o
Visiting Shangri La
I was sent to this mythically named town in the clouds in 2012 on one of our regular fact
Visit Hong Kong
Hong Kong remains one of the world’s most important cities and certainly one of the most
Trains in China
Train services in China, much like everything else in the country, have undergone a major
Touring Beijing
Most China tours are likely to visit Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of Ch
The Silk Road
The Silk Road, or Silk Route as it is also known, refers to a series of trade and cultural
Tai Chi Chuan
Tai chi ch'uan or taijiquan as it is written in Pinyin, is a Chinese martial art that is u