As a traditional Chinese festival, the Spring Festival is the most important time of the year for Chinese people. The customs of Spring Festival in different parts of the country are varied. Here are some of the Chinese New Year customs from different regions.
North China
In Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, people cut and paste window flowers. The content of the window flowers include various animals and plants, such as magpies, Chinese zodiac, plum blossoms, etc., to decorate the gateway. People would make offerings to their ancestors to express their mourning for them and to pray for their blessings for the coming year.
Eating New Year’s Eve dinner is also very particular. People will eat fish, which means that there will be more than enough for every year, and dumplings, which means that they will attract wealth and treasures. Peking Duck is also a popular dish for Chinese New Year. You can experience these activities on your China tours during Chinese New Year.
East China
In Nanjing, it is customary to play the “Fangshan Drum”. This performance is said to be a dance made up by farmers according to the form of sparrows jumping and pecking on the paddy field after the fall harvest. In Shaoxing, people will watch “village theatrical performance”. During the Spring Festival, it is the liveliest performance in the water town of Shaoxing.
In Huangshan, Anhui province, people perform the Liyang Battle Drum. This was used in the Sui and Tang dynasties mainly to boost morale on the battlefield, and has been passed down to the present day as a custom to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Southern China
In Guangdong, there are dragon and lion dances. This traditional performance is lively and energetic, signifying good fortune and luck. People will stroll through the Flower Street. Buy some flowers and New Year’s goods to get what you need for the New Year at home. They will also pray at temples for peace and happiness.
In Nanning, Guangxi, there is an activity of picking “new water”. Zhuang parents will pick new water for the whole family and pick up a few stones that resemble livestock to pray for the prosperity of the livestock.
Northwestern China
In Gansu, people perform social fire, a comprehensive performing art with songs and dances and a variety of genres. In Shaanxi, there are yangko teams to pay New Year’s greetings. In villages, yangko teams are organized to go from door to door to pay New Year’s greetings. Nowruz Festivall is celebrated in Xinjiang. Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other ethnic minorities celebrate the New Year around March 22 in the Gregorian calendar.
Southwestern China
In Sichuan, people will perform dragon dances, including colored dragons, water dragons and fire dragons, to pray for good weather in the new year. In Yunnan, people will “polish the autumn”. This is a national traditional sports activities, in the New Year “polishing autumn” can turn away bad luck, bring good luck.