6 must-visit cities in China for Chinese New Year 2026

Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on Feb. 17 this year, and with the 9-day vacation running from Feb. 15 to Feb. 23, the country is immersed in its most vivid, symbolic, and emotionally charged celebrations of the year.

For travelers, it's a rare 9-day-period when China bursts into celebration. Lantern-lit streets fill with families, festive music and laughter echo through old neighborhoods, food stalls steam in the cold air, and every corner glows with the warmth of the New Year.

People's Daily Online has selected six cities where you can experience the Chinese New Year at its most vibrant, intimate, and authentic.

Beijing, capital of China

For first-time visitors to China, Beijing offers the most iconic Chinese New Year imagery — red lanterns swaying above ancient hutongs, the aroma of street snacks drifting through the cold air, and the city's imperial architecture glowing under festive lights.

One of Beijing's most signature Spring Festival experiences is its temple fairs: a lively mix of traditional street food, local crafts, seasonal rituals, and folk performances. Families gather at these fairs to celebrate the start of a new year.

This year, Beijing will host more than 30 temple fairs and lantern festivals, more numerous and elaborate than in previous years. Highlights include the Longtan, Ditan, and Changdian temple fairs, which will feature more on-site shows — from classic Beijing folk arts like crosstalk and traditional storytelling to acrobatics, opera, and martial arts performances from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

For anyone hoping to feel the true warmth, joy, and bustle of a Chinese New Year, a temple fair is simply unmissable.

Tourists visit a Spring Festival temple fair at Ditan Park in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)