This year from January 22-28, China celebrates Chinese New Year. We will say goodbye to the Year of the Rabbit and ring in the Year of the Dragon. You might be thinking, “Fantastic– Get me on the next plane to witness this important festival!”  Before getting on the plane, we’ll give you the inside scoop on Chinese New Year and if you should visit China during this time…

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival (or chun jie in pinyin),  is based off the lunar calendar, and  occurs in late January/February each year.  The celebration is a joyous occasion to ring in the new year and spend time with friends and family. This festival is by far and away the grand dame of Chinese holidays and each Chinese New Year Eve, families gather and bao jiaozi, or stuff dumplings, and light off fireworks in front of their homes.

For many expats and foreign travelers, the most surprising aspect of this holiday is the Chinese New Year fireworks. For two weeks, large firework kiosks are set up throughout the cities where anyone can purchase professional fireworks to light off at anytime of day. It’s an absolute scene.

Let’s move on to domestic travel during this period. Take a look below. How does this look?

Pretty stressful, no? Traveling during Chinese New Year is not impossible, but isn’t for the faint of heart. Tickets are harder to purchase, some restaurants will be closed and many of the sites will be crowded with domestic visitors. While you will be able to witness China’s greatest celebration, it will be a bit more work getting around the country.

———

More questions about Chinese New Year? Drop a line at info@wildchina.com and one of WildChina’s Chinese travel consultants would love to answer any of your questions.

Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the new lunar year, marks the end of Chinese New Year and the last day to shoot fireworks.

Walking home from work, it seems as if everyone were saving it until the last minute:

When I asked a man on the street, “Why?? Why are there so many?” He grinned from ear to ear and said, “We start the year out with good luck and good fortune by celebrating our happiness!”

Another lady looked at me and said, “I was mad at my husband for spending so much money on these, but <sigh> I guess it only happens once a year, right?”

Given that THIS is what typically happens after the fireworks go off:

It doesn’t seem that that lady or light sleepers will be too sad to see the fireworks go.

Best wishes to all in the Year of the Rabbit!

———-

Videos courtesy of Devin, an associate of WildChina. Watch other WildChina videos here <http://www.youtube.com/wildchinatravel>.

WildChina’s office hours for the upcoming Chinese New Year are as follows:

Beijing office will be closed from February 2-8.  We will reopen the office on Wednesday, February 9.

Washington, D.C. office will open all throughout the holiday.

Contact us anytime throughout this period by e-mailing us at info@wildchina.com or calling us at 1.888.902.8808.

Today marks the beginning of the busiest travel season in China: from January 21 to February 27, China’s skies, roads, and rails will be inundated as an expected 640 million people, from every corner of the country, go on the move. What destinations could possibly be so compelling as to temporarily shift more than 9% of the world’s entire population? Home, of course.

The impetus is the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival (chun jie). Far and away the most important festival on the Chinese calendar, the Spring Festival has always been a traditional time of homecoming and renewal. As such, this deluge occurs every winter, but the Ministry of Transport in China has predicted that this year’s will be the worst yet. One explanation is that many Chinese, in addition to returning home for the holidays, will also take advantage of the time off for domestic and international tourism.

With so many people competing for tickets, the rush has resulted in some amusing local news items. One story details the rising trade in fake student IDs as travelers get more innovative in their search for a cheap ticket home. A well-humored Beijing man named Chi Dongting, frustrated with long wait times at railway offices in freezing temperatures, successfully used a stylishly-dressed mannequin to hold his place in line – while he huddled in his car for warmth.

Far from being intimidated by the crowds, WildChina believes there are some not-so-packed spots in China that truly shine during the holiday period. Yunnan province is a popular destination with our clients this time of year for a variety of reasons; the subtropical climate of verdant Xishuangbanna is an obvious draw, while up north the old cities of Dali and Lijiang take on a more peaceful personality with high season still months away.

And if you own a good jacket, Tibet awaits. With many annual pilgrimages underway, February represents an ideal opportunity to see local Tibetans in their colorful traditional dress – and there’s plenty of yak butter tea to keep you warm!

We always promote going off-the-beaten-path for travel in China; but with the beaten path about to fill up with home-bound travelers and domestic vacationers, there’s perhaps no better time to do so than during the Spring Festival.

———-

Image: Birmingham Post

WildChina’s Beijing office will be closed from Saturday, February 13 to Friday, February 19 in celebration of Chinese New Year. Normal business hours will resume on Saturday, February 20.

Happy Year of the Tiger! (Source: www.dreamstime.com)

During this time, please contact Anita Narayan (anita.narayan@wildchina.com) in our US office with any inquiries.

We wish our clients, partners, family and friends a happy and healthy Chinese New Year. 恭喜发财！

Xinhua news agency has reported that, in light of the upcoming Chinese New Year on February 14th, that those in China reduce travel to avoid the spread of H1N1 flu.

Read the full article on the health advisory here.

Want more information on H1N1 and health in China? Contact WildChina at info@wildchina.com.

The Year of the Tiger is less than a month away – it occurs on February 14th – and there will be numerous celebrations across China to ring in the new year.

At such a festive time for Chinese citizens, travel and safety naturally becomes a much greater concern. Large numbers of travelers, crowded attractions and fully booked modes of transportation can increase the risk of theft and physical harm.

Here are three ways to keep yourself happy and safe during Chinese New Year:

1. Be careful of fireworks. Fireworks are traditionally set off during the Chinese New Year. While fireworks are festive and fun to watch, be cautious, especially in large crowds. Opt to watch from afar rather than close up, and make sure you have some space around you to move away if these displays go awry.
2. Streamline and reduce travel. Travel will inevitably be more stressful during this time, so make sure that your plans don’t involve lots of short stopovers, inconvenient connections or tight turnaround. Try to streamline your trip so that you can enjoy a certain area for a longer amount of time.
3. Choose appropriate transportation options for you and your family. Are you claustrophobic? Do you have small children? Are you traveling with grandparents? If so, trains and busses are not appropriate modes of transportation for you during CNY. Planes and private cars are better suited to your needs. Those taking trains and busses should expect cramped conditions; on the upside, they are cheap and reliable.

Want more tips on travel during Chinese New Year? Send us a tweet @WildChina.

In celebration of Chinese New Year,  the Forbidden City (also known as the Palace Museum) will have reduced hours on Sunday, January 25 and Monday, January 26.

Sunday, January 25

• Opening Time: 8:30 am
• Last Tickets Sold: 11:00 am
• Doors Closed: 11:10 am
• Museum Closed: 12:00 noon

Monday, January 26

• Opening Time: 12:00 noon
• Last Tickets Sold: 3:30 pm
• Doors Closed: 3:40 pm
• Museum Closed: 4:30 pm

故宫博物院春节期间将1月25日及26日的开放时间做以下调整：

1- 1月25日开馆时间：上午08:30

停止售票：上午11:00

停止检票：上午11:10

闭馆时间：中午12:00

2- 1月26日开馆时间：中午12:00

停止售票：下午15:30

停止检票：下午15:40

闭馆时间：下午16:30