What Is the Experience of Foreigners Traveling to China During the Spring Festival?
🎈The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional holiday in China. During this time, Chinese people reunite with their families 👨👩👧👦, enjoying family dinners, putting up Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, setting off firecrackers, and more. It is a joyful and heartwarming festival. 🥰
At the same time, the Spring Festival is a large-scale human migration event, with train tickets selling out in a flash, and transportation hubs becoming particularly crowded. If you choose to come to China during the Spring Festival, be sure to prepare well.
2. Timing
🗓️The public holiday for the Spring Festival in China generally runs from New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month. 🗓️Taking 2025 as an example, the holiday will be from January 28 to February 4. However, in reality, people start returning home about a week before the Spring Festival, making transportation extremely congested. 😣 About a week after the Spring Festival, people begin returning to work, so traffic is also quite busy. Therefore, if you plan to travel to China during the Spring Festival, it’s best to plan your itinerary and book flights and hotels in advance. 🛫
3. Transportation
🚄Train tickets are very hard to come by during the Spring Festival, so please remember to book at least 15 days in advance. You can use websites like Trip.com to secure your tickets. Since most people return to their hometowns from big cities, tickets from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are particularly difficult to purchase.
So, if you want to travel by train, be sure to prepare in advance. 😫 Plane tickets are relatively easier to obtain but also need to be booked ahead, and prices can be quite steep, especially for popular routes, so keep an eye on the prices in advance. ✈️
4. Impact
🏙️During the Spring Festival, big cities become quite empty as many people return to their hometowns. Some small shops and restaurants may close, but large shopping malls and public facilities usually remain unaffected. 🛍️ Therefore, during the Spring Festival, you can visit big malls to experience the festive atmosphere in China. 🎉
5. Travel
🌅Tourist attractions often see a large number of visitors, as many choose to travel close to home during the Spring Festival. However, there are also some local attractions with Spring Festival characteristics to enjoy. For instance, the flower markets in Guangzhou during the Spring Festival, firework displays in Changsha 🎆; traditional folk activities like the deity parades in Fujian and the Yingge dance in Chaozhou. These experiences are exceptionally unique. 💃
6. Customs
🧧There are many customs related to the Spring Festival, such as putting up Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, setting off firecrackers, enjoying reunion dinners, visiting friends and family for New Year greetings, etc. During this period, people also wear new clothes and give red envelopes to children. 🎁 It’s important to note that there are certain taboos during the Spring Festival in China, such as avoiding saying anything unlucky or breaking things. 🙅♂️
In summary, traveling to China during the Spring Festival allows you to experience a rich festive atmosphere and the charm of traditional Chinese culture. Come join in the fun! 💖
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