For the people belonging to the Chinese community, Chinese New Year is the most special occasion of all. The celebration mood prevails for 15 days ending with the sight-seeing of year’s first full moon. During this phase people follow all the traditional rituals praying for a great year ahead. Cities during these days dress up glamorously with read lanterns and other decorative, while fire crackers light up the sky beautifully.
Ethnic Chinese visit the temple to pray and burn paper symbols and models for sending messages to their ancestors. This festival is celebrated not only by Chinese people but also by tourists willing to explore the beauty and joy associated with it.
EXPLORE THE JOY OF CNY
If you are willing to explore the joy of Chinese New Year 2024 and celebrate it in the traditional manner, then you might be looking for the best places for Chinese New Year in Asia. For being part of a grand celebration, check out the following 4 places eager to welcome you.
HONG KONG
This colorful city of China starts celebration right before few days from the arrival of the New Year. Give a great start to your Chinese New Year celebration with Tsim Sha Tsui’s night parade, the biggest attraction of visiting Hong Kong during New Year. Within these 15 days, make sure to visit Hong Kong Island’s peak to receive the blessings form the Fortune wheel and get a panoramic view of the Victoria Harbor, Central and Lamma Island.
If you have come here with your family, then take your kids to the Hong Kong Disneyland and celebrate New Year with Mickey and Minnie. You can also explore the Chinese temples and flower markets and offer prayers to the almighty with the locals.
BEIJING
Beijing is considered as the city hosting the grandest of the grand Chinese New Year carnivals, festivals, parties and worship ceremonies. Alike the Spring Lantern festivals celebrated by the Chinese immigrant communities, Chinese New Year is celebrated following all the traditional rituals. Chinese Families here spend the year end by getting their houses cleaned and decorated for the upcoming event.
Much of the time during the 15 days long New Year celebration is spend offering prayers to the ancestors. At the Temple of Heaven, a Heaven Worshipping ceremony is organized. Performers here get dressed in the outfits worn during the Qing Dynasty. For the next few days of the event, do explore the Yanguing Ice festival to enjoy a twist in the celebration mode.
BANGKOK
This city is known as the largest Chinatown in Thailand happily taking the responsibility of hosting the biggest Chinese New Year celebration in the country. People belong to the Chinese community residing here take leave from their work to offer prayer to god and their ancestors, burn firecrackers, enjoy the dragon and lion dance, and soothe the taste buds with delicacies.
The city lighted with red lanterns look dazzling. Apart from people belonging to the Thai-Chinese communities, visitors from abroad also turn up to this place for celebrating Chinese New year.
SHANGHAI
If you are longing to capture the century old tradition of Chinese New Year, then Shanghai is the most suitable destination you should pay a visit. Locals as well as tourists visit Yuyuan Old Town Bazaar to see the amazing display of lanterns, burn paper symbols and joss sticks and ring bells either at City God Temple or the Longhua Temple. You can also join the crowd to enjoy a New Year deal at Nanjing Road where people go to exchange old household items for the fresh one.