TOPIC

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is celebrated across China and in many parts of Asia and the world where Chinese communities can be found. It is often marked by time off work or school and includes family visits, meals together, and games like mahjong.
last updated:
14 November, 2024
The dancers from Mumbai were victorious in the 2020 season of America’s got Talent. Photo: NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Hong Kong society

Ex-members cry foul over Indian troupe joining Hong Kong Lunar New Year parade

Controversy centres on the Mumbai-based V.Unbeatable Dance Group, winner of America’s Got Talent in 2020.

China's economic recovery

Can online gifts match digital red packets’ Spring Festival popularity?

videocam
Gold in Hong Kong

Year of the Snake: gold’s ascent to record highs to dampen jewellery sales

Hong Kong society

Feng shui masters on Hong Kong’s Year of the Snake: will it just slither along?

City leader John Lee will benefit in a stable year while Donald Trump is set for good fortune, say feng shui masters.

Feng shui practitioner Master Seven says the coming year will see more natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires, and traffic and aviation accidents in Hong Kong. Photo: Nora Tam
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong worshippers seek good fortune at annual Lunar New Year ritual

Colourful costumes and high hopes at Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, as devotees burn first incense sticks of Year of the Snake.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

14 food poisoning cases in Hong Kong from Cafe de Coral’s Lunar New Year dish

Authorities say group ate poon choi for dinner in university dormitory, with cross-contamination of raw and cooked food blamed for cases.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong florists cut prices as buyers sniff out Lunar New Year fair deals

Vendors at Victoria Park fair are eager to clear stock by offering steep discounts before the Lunar New Year fair closes.

The Lunar New Year fair at Victoria Park will remain open overnight. Photo: Sun Yeung
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Hit N Fun, warm-hearted boxing drama by Rob N Roll filmmaker

Albert Mak is back with bittersweet tale of a high-flyer, a washed-up actress and a failing gym boss forced to rethink their purpose in life.

videocam
Chinese culture

Feng shui master’s tips for Snakes in the Year of the Snake

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares advice on where to place lucky elements, colours or symbols to help you have a better Year of the Snake.

DeepSeek

China’s DeepSeek goes quiet for Lunar New Year as AI models rattle Wall Street

The Hangzhou office of China’s hottest start-up has recently seen several uninvited guests trying to see the team responsible for shaking up AI.

videocam
47
DeepSeek’s rapid rise is causing Silicon Valley to reassess business strategies in artificial intelligence. Photo: Reuters
Accidents and disasters in China

China faces ‘another test’ as travellers shiver through annual holiday rush

Transport officials urged to be alert and prepared as world’s biggest annual migration of humanity heads home during Spring Festival.

videocam
Passengers have their tickets scanned before boarding at the Huzhou East Railway Station in eastern China’s Zhejiang province on Monday. A record 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected during this year’s 40-day Spring Festival travel rush. Photo: Xinhua
History

The Lunar New Year poon choi feast isn’t just about food

Having started as a rustic meal jointly made by rural households to enjoy together, poon choi is now a family-favourite Chinese New Year staple in Hong Kong.

Chinese overseas

Chinese tourists, wary of Thailand, plan other stops for Lunar New Year travel

Worried for their safety, China’s outbound tourists have pulled back on Thailand travel plans, opting for Japan and Malaysia as alternatives.

videocam
Hong Kong tourism

Mainlanders make 419,072 trips to Hong Kong ahead of Lunar New Year holiday

Hongkongers, meanwhile, embarked on about 1.2 million outbound trips over the same period between Saturday and Monday.

Mainland Chinese tourists are flocking to Hong Kong to celebrate Lunar New year. Photo: Dickson Lee
Women and gender

Women in this Chinese lion dance troupe also fling around the men

The Lingdong troupe from Shantou in China includes around 20 female performers, but there has been some mockery amid the positive reactions.

This photo taken on January 22, 2025 shows female lion dancers taking part in a practice session at an ancestral temple in Shantou, in southern China’s Guangdong province. Sporting furry sequinned trousers and a black training top, Lin Xinmeng flings her male teammate into the air -- part of China’s world-renowned lion dance that is shrugging off centuries of patriarchal norms. Performed across China and around the world, at weddings or during business openings, it is a mainstay festivity for the Lunar New Year which which falls on January 29 this year. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP) / TO GO WITH: China-culture-LNY-dance-lion, REPORTAGE by Ludovic EHRET
Christmas

Opinion | Holidays can bring families together, and sometimes nations too

Having celebrated Christmas in China and Lunar New Year in the US, I’ve come to cherish loved ones on both sides of the Pacific.

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong man, 29, lured to Southeast Asian ‘scam farm’ returns home

Security official will remain in Bangkok to continue efforts to rescue 10 other residents stranded in similar fraud centres in region.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong tourism

Hongkongers depart for Lunar New Year, but analysts upbeat on economy

More than 800,000 Hongkongers have already left two days before Lunar New Year break, with fewer than 400,000 visitors arriving.

A Lunar New Year fair at Victoria Park. The holiday starts on Wednesday in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang
China’s Communist Party

China’s Lunar New Year gala to feature US rock band OneRepublic

The annual television extravaganza, which is tightly scripted to highlight Beijing’s priorities, rarely features American performers.

China’s Communist Party

Xi puts focus on defusing economic risks in Lunar New Year message

China remains ‘key engine’ of global growth and will push ahead with reforms and guard against ‘external shocks’, leader says.

6
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | In My Best Bet, Charlene Choi and Louis Cheung battle gambling addiction

A man with an aversion to gamblers marries a gambling addict in Andy Lo’s comedy. The writer-director shows a gift for nonsensical humour.

videocam
Charlene Choi in a still from My Best Bet.
China travel

Lunar New Year celebrations begin in China

Spring Festival celebrations include a reunion dinner gathering for pet dogs in Shanghai

02:22
China's economic recovery

Spring Festival reunion dinner bookings a ray of hope for China’s restaurateurs

Restaurants across the country offer more affordable set menus for Lunar New Year’s Eve in bid to attract more diners.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year fireworks set to attract 400,000 to Victoria Harbour

Extensive road closures expected, as police warn of increased water patrols to crack down on crew operating boats while under the influence.

Hong Kong society

Lunar New Year fair in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po reopens after wind damage

But stall owners at the bazaar in Cheung Sha Wan Playground have complained that the government’s handling of the emergency fell short.

Strong winds damaged stalls in Cheung Sha Wan Playground on Monday. Photo: Jelly Tse
Vietnam

Vietnam’s sticky, ‘delicious’ Lunar New Year delicacy takes 12 hours to make

Wrapped cakes of glutinous rice, green beans and pork belly have been a Lunar New Year speciality in Vietnam for centuries.

A couple eat “banh chung” at their home in Hanoi. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong feels the chill at 10 degrees Celsius, lowest so far this winter

Observatory expects weather will remain cold on Tuesday and Wednesday, the first day of Lunar New Year.

Hong Kong

Your perfect week: what to do in Hong Kong, January 26-February 1

Celebrate Chinese New Year with a special Hakka menu, watch football stars compete, and enjoy an all-Mozart concert after some Aperol Spritzes.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
loading