subject: New Year Celebrations In Beijing: Traditions With A Difference [print this page] The well known Chinese New Year which is also popularly identified as Lunar New Year is a magnificent festival celebrated in grand style throughout China. The entire nation becomes a joyous place to be, with its atmosphere simply vibrant, enchanting and delightful.
However, the best place to be during the fascinating Chinese New Year is Beijing, Chinas capital city. The festival takes a different look and feel and is a great place for travellers to discover its uniqueness. The Chinese New Year is a celebration that is carried out according to traditional styles and beliefs. However, in Beijing one can find all these traditions with a difference.
New Year in Beijing is celebrated with much enthusiasm by both young and old alike. During the season visitors will discover the city streets filled with people getting ready for this world renowned festival. Beijings natives simply adore decorating their homes and gardens with lights, streamers, red lanterns and posters adding much colour to the festival in the city. During this time of the year, natives also spend time listening to classical Chinese music played using their traditional instruments.
Like in most other parts of the country, Chinese New Year in Beijing offers a special place for children who are given various types of colourful gifts. These gifts are usually wrapped in red symbolizing good luck. The long procession that visits the temple fair is also an interesting feature of the New Year celebrations in Beijing. One of the most colourful and crowded places in Beijing during the New Year is the Dalian Temple Fair where visitors get the chance to view Chinese Lion dancing.
Similar to other parts of China, red remains to be the colour of the season in Beijing. Locals make it a point to use red as their theme colour for decorating and even wearing clothes in red is also a common sight. People in Beijing visit their loved ones with cooked 'dumplings' wishing them good luck and fortune.
