Eight auspicious destinations to celebrate Chinese New Year

Happy year of the pig

For some in 2019 it’s the plain old year of the pig, while others take it up a notch and call it the year of the boar. But whatever your porcine penchant there’s no doubt that Chinese New Year is a fantastic excuse to delve into the technicolor sights, colours and tastes of Asia.

The most important festival in the Chinese cultural calendar means that in mainland China alone, a mind-boggling three billion trips are made in the planet’s largest annual human migration. But of course it’s equally resonant for the substantial Chinese communities across the vast region, from Southeast Asia to Australia.

Once you’ve chosen your destination, don’t forget to stock up on lai see or “red packet” envelopes, to be filled with banknotes and given to friends, family and associates to wish them a lucky and prosperous year ahead.

Here are eight (a lucky number seen everywhere at New Year) places to experience and celebrate the arrival of the year of the pig in true local style.

Hong Kong

Festive lanterns at The Peninsula Hong Kong’s entrance (Peninsula Hong Kong)

There are few better places to welcome in Chinese New Year than Hong Kong. The excitement is palpable enough in the buildup that lasts for weeks, so the actual celebration is an explosion of colour and fireworks.

The Peninsula Hong Kong is the city’s most storied hotel and its lion dance, an indispensable lunar new year tradition, is the perfect way to kickstart the festivities. Across the city, they’re traditionally held on the first day of the lunar new year, but can be experienced throughout the two-week celebration.

With eight lions and one dragon, at The Peninsula it’s a show-stopping experience, held in its grand lobby which is decked out with auspicious plants like kumquat bushes groaning with golden fruit to symbolise prosperity.

Sitting in a prime spot in Kowloon overlooking Victoria Harbour and the breathtaking skyline of Hong Kong Island, The Pen – as it’s known by locals – is also the perfect spot to catch the city’s huge fireworks display. You can also watch them in real style by booking dinner in its restaurants like Felix for the ultimate in explosive cuisine from chef Juan Gomez.

Pingtung, Taiwan

The Pingtung lantern festival (Taiwan Tourism)

Taiwan is a cracking destination at any time of year, surprising visitors with its diversity and warm people, while its street food game is famously strong. Taken together, these elements help make for a memorable Lunar New Year.

One especially mesmerising sight is the national lantern festival when up to 200,000 paper lanterns fill the skies. Popular spots to catch it include New Taipei City’s Pingxi Township or down in the southern city of Kaohsiung along the sweetly named Love River.

The festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities and runs from 19 February to 3 March. In 2019, the biggest show is set to be hosted in Pingtung in southern Taiwan and promises music, dance, endless varieties of their brilliant street food and a huge fireworks display.

2019taiwanlantern.taiwan.net.tw

Shanghai

The space age hotel outside Shanghai is carved out of an old quarry (InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland)

With a staggering 24 million people – that’s three Londons combined – Shanghai has no shortage of distractions and entertainment during the Lunar New Year. In common with all the destinations listed, however, it’s worth remembering that the migration of hundreds of millions of people home means that many restaurants and other businesses are shut over the holiday period.

Temple fairs and lantern festivals are big draws, with the latter’s most celebrated example taking place in the Yuyuan Gardens that date back more than 400 years to the Ming dynasty. Beautiful examples of classic Chinese architecture, sculptures and gardens make for perfect photos and Instagram shots – but rest assured, you won’t be alone.

Fireworks over Shanghai’s river skyline and the Bund are another popular choice, but a much less crowded option comes at the extraordinary new Intercontinental Wonderland hotel just outside the city. This $300m property was built in a disused quarry, meaning the hotel rooms and floors are officially underground. A laser, light and drone show held over the lake surrounding the property will feature special Chinese New Year characters to mark the year of the pig.

Bangkok

Chinese New Year celebrations at The Sukhothai hotel in Bangkok (The Sukhothai)

Bangkok is a brilliant destination at any time, but throw in the spectacle of Chinese New Year to make it even more beguiling. The Yaowaraj district is home to the Thai capital’s Chinatown and dotted with restaurants, jewellers, fabric stores and markets, but it comes even more alive during the festival.

On New Year’s Eve, Chinese legend told of a mythical beast known as Nien that would come to destroy people’s homes. To ensure this didn’t happen, people would set off firecrackers, dress in red and leave out food to scare off or placate the monster and to this day you’ll see countless versions of all three elements throughout the area.

For fantastic eats, hit up the Yaowaraj street food market, where auspicious foods will be on offer. If you’re feeling more flush then the supremely elegant Sukhothai Hotel is hosting Sunday brunches and lunch buffets accompanied by lion dances.

Changsha

The lion dance is traditionally performed at Chinese New Year (Niccolo Hotel)

One of the remarkable things about China is discovering cities that may not immediately be familiar. A case in point, Changsha in Hunan Province. With more than 7 million people, however, it’s a substantial, dynamic and youthful city that knows how to kick back.

Indeed, if street food and partying to celebrate New Year are your thing, then you could do a lot worse than hitting up the funky maze of bars on the two-mile stretch called Jiefang Xilu Bar Street.

But if you’re keen to watch the fireworks, then nowhere comes close to matching the Niccolo Hotel. Why? The luxurious property sits atop the world’s 11th-tallest building, ensuring a vast spread of fireworks displays to the horizon. Then, after dining on traditional auspicious dishes in the Niccolo Kitchen restaurant, retreat to your suite to enjoy the Spring Festival Gala on the country’s state China Central Television. You won’t be the only one, as it’s the world’s most watched TV broadcast. Last year’s total domestic viewers of the four-and-a-half-hour show? One billion.

Macau

A colourful Chinese New Year in Macau (Macau Tourism Board)

This year marks two decades since the former Portuguese colony of Macau became a Special Administrative Region of China. In common with its close neighbour in Hong Kong, just 40 miles away, Chinese New Year is the mother of all festivals.

Macau goes big on parades to celebrate and for the year of the pig, that means 7 and 10 February are the dates to be there. You’ll see illuminated floats and more than 1,000 global performers making their way through the picturesque and historic sites including the iconic Ruins of St Paul’s, before a stonking fireworks display lights up the sky over Sai Van Lake Square and the Macau Tower.

A much quieter event is the lunar New Year flower market that runs from 28 January until 5 February and lets you stock up on all your symbolic good luck flowers. The vast array of casinos and resorts ensures there’s a hotel room at every price point, so take your pick from hundreds of options.

Kuala Lumpur

Yee Sang is often eaten for good luck during Chinese New Year in Malaysia

As is often the case in Malaysia, it’s all about the food for Chinese New Year. Chinese dumplings and carp are two of the auspicious foods that are said thought to bring wealth, but few dishes are as important and symbolic in Malaysia as Yee Sang.

This popular traditional dish contains raw fish with a mix of finely shredded vegetables and sauces. If that sounds strange for Chinese cuisine, it’s popular mainly because it demands to be tossed – like a salad – for luck. All the diners at a table join in and the higher the toss of the symbolic ingredients, the more prosperity you’ll receive.

The new RuMa Hotel sits smack in the heart of Kuala Lumpur by the iconic Petronas twin towers, and the hotel’s modern Malaysian eatery called Atas has even crafted its own Yee Sang with local ingredients including betel leaf, sweet tamarind and fried chicken skin.

Sydney

Lunar New Year celebrations in Sydney

And down under to celebrate at Sydney’s Lunar Festival, an impressive and vibrant arts festival that offers entertainment, exhibitions, markets, performances and tours, most of which are free. Dragon boat races are a big draw and few backdrops are as impressive as the city’s Darling Harbour as the 12-metre boats follow the beat of the drum.

Other sights not to miss this year include a photogenic and striking three-dimensional grid that forms the silhouette of a pig and will occupy the famed Opera House boardwalk. Those born in the year of the pig are said to be honourable, philanthropic and optimistic – with Ronald Reagan, Hillary Clinton and, surprisingly, Henry VIII among them.

Save money on accommodation and catch those harbour views by renting a flat overlooking the water. Airbnb has a picture-perfect pad with views to die for from £86 a night, as well as New Year-themed experiences to choose from.