What does the Spring Festival “taste” like?
Among all festivals, the Spring Festival holds the highest significance; likewise, spring stands out as the most important of the four seasons. The Spring Festival is China’s most grand, historically rich, widely celebrated, and influential traditional festival. Marking the beginning of the year, the Chinese New Year boasts a history of over 3,000 years in China. The inclusion of “Spring festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year” on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity has further heightened people’s anticipation for this festive occasion.
The Spring Festival falls on the first day of the first lunar month. In preparation for the festivities, people begin cleaning their homes, purchasing festive items, and cooking delicious dishes starting from the twelfth lunar month. The celebration activities, which focus on bidding farewell to winter and welcoming spring, saying goodbye to the old and embracing the new, praying for good fortune and prosperity, and fostering family reunion and harmony, are particularly vibrant from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th day of the first lunar month. This period is commonly referred to as “guonian” (celebrating the New Year).
For Chinese people, the Spring Festival carries a unique essence. The phrase “the flavor of the Spring Festival” is something every Chinese individual often references. As far back as a century ago, the well-known gossip tabloid Beiyang Pictorial provided an insightful definition of this concept: “The flavor of the Spring Festival encompasses not only what is tasted by the mouth, but also what is heard by the ears and seen by the eyes.”
When the flavor of the Spring Festival arrives, the celebration of the Spring Festival begins.
Yunnan province has cultural activities of intangible relics for the 2025 Spring Festival.
The flavor of Spring Festival arrives with steamed flower buns
In many places in northern China, the arrival of the Major Cold solar term (usually around January 20 of the Gregorian calendar each year, marking the coldest period of the year) means that the countdown to the Spring Festival has begun.
In Hancheng City, Shaanxi Province, craftsmen start making special steamed flower buns. These buns are crafted into various shapes representing zodiac animals and auspicious elements, such as snakes and lucky bags, reflecting people’s good wishes for the New Year. In traditional culture, snakes symbolize agility and wisdom. Through these steamed flower buns, craftsmen hope to share their good wishes with a wider audience. In Shandong Province, preparing flower bobo (another name for steamed flower buns) during the Spring Festival is a cherished tradition, symbolizing a thriving year ahead. Many people also place steamed flower buns shaped like the “Holy Snake” into rice jars on New Year’s Eve, signifying hopes for a bountiful grain harvest in the upcoming year.
The production process of steamed flower buns may appear simple, but creating them perfectly is time-consuming and labor-intensive. There are strict procedures involved in making steamed flower buns, including fermentation, kneading the dough, forming intricate shapes, and steaming. Each step demands a high level of precision. During the rising process, it’s essential to manage time and temperature carefully to prevent the buns from deforming, cracking, or losing their moisture and smooth texture. When steaming, proper heat control is crucial to ensure that the buns are fully cooked without losing their shape or developing bubbles. The final step in making steamed flower buns is decoration, which is also the most visually appealing part of the process. As there are no textbooks or templates, this traditional skill is passed down orally, learned from one generation to the next. With a small pair of scissors, a chopstick, and nimble hands, artisans transform ordinary dough into vibrant, beautifully shaped works of art amidst laughter and conversation.
After going through multiple procedures such as kneading, pinching, pulling, rolling, and sticking, the small pieces of dough are turned into steamed flower buns of various shapes. According to Xu Fengyu, the owner of a steamed bun shop in Jimo District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, “When making steamed flower buns, it’s essential to adhere to strict requirements regarding the dough’s softness and firmness, the proportion of flour to alkali, and the heat and timing for steaming the dough sculptures. Creating them properly is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, with each step requiring careful consideration.”
During our interview with Xu, we were struck by the sight of a table filled with an array of finished steamed flower buns. The colorful buns, shaped like tigers, flower rolls, and symbols of prosperity, showcased unique craftsmanship and a rich rural charm. the sweet aroma wafts through the air, creating a sense of warmth and festivity that is deeply associated with the Spring Festival.
When the fish lanterns are lit, the Spring Festival is around the corner
As night falls, the fish lanterns are lit.
For approximately 800 years, every Spring Festival, Zhanqi Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, has celebrated the vibrant fish and dragon lantern dances that light up the night. When you catch sight of the softly glowing fish lanterns gliding into the mountain villages and fields, it signals that the Spring Festival is just around the corner.
Zheng Dongjiao, the leader of the fish lantern team in Zhanqi Village, shared that in ancient times, Huizhou had limited arable land. As a result, many young people had to leave home at the age of 13 or 14 to become apprentices or engage in trade. The performance of the fish lanterns during the Spring Festival serves as a symbol of reunion. When the fish lantern performances begin, it signifies that the Spring Festival has arrived.
Zheng, a native of Zhanqi Village, took over as the leader of the village’s fish lantern team four years ago. Each Spring Festival, he prepares in advance for the fish lantern performances.
The first step involves crafting the fish lanterns. To ensure they dance as smoothly as fish gliding through water, the entire process must be executed with precision. Fresh bamboo, aged two to three years, is used for construction. The process begins with creating the fish skeleton, onto which rice paper is then adhered. Various patterns symbolizing good fortune and happiness—such as auspicious clouds, lotus flowers, and ruyi scepters—are painted on the surface. The true essence and soul of the fish lanterns come to life during the performance, where their movements are so lively that it feels as if the fish are actually swimming.
The craftsmanship of fish lanterns has evolved over the past 800 years, transitioning from the traditional use of rice paper to cloth for crafting, and from candles for illumination to modern light bulbs. While these innovations have advanced the art form, the dancers who bring the fish lanterns to life are increasingly aging.
At 48 years old, Zheng is regarded as a “young person” in the village. To ensure a successful performance of the fish lanterns, he needs to encourage more villagers to join in. “When we were children, there weren’t many entertainment options during the Spring Festival—just a black-and-white TV. The fish lanterns were what everyone looked forward to the most. People would cheer, “Touch the fish’s head; enjoy a worry-free life,” prompting both adults and children to eagerly rush over.”
In the past few decades, two-thirds of the villagers in Zhanqi Village have left their hometown to seek a living elsewhere. Zheng, too, had once gone to Ningbo City in Zhejiang Province for work. However, four years ago, when his eldest daughter was preparing for the college entrance examination, he decided to return home to support her studies. It was then that the village approached Zheng, asking him to take over the fish lantern team and help preserve this cherished tradition.
A recent video of a performance sparked their popularity on the Internet, giving Zheng hope of attracting more young people to the fish lanterns. To ensure this year’s performance was successful, Zheng had been rehearsing diligently. Although the villagers he had gathered were no longer young and their movements weren’t as agile, they were committed to creating the vivid, lively, and imposing fish lanterns that had defined their childhood, hoping to share them with a wider audience.
The fish lanterns illuminate the mountain villages of southern Anhui, and through Zheng’s live broadcasts, the Zhanqi fish lanterns are reaching a broader audience.
I write Spring Festival couplets for the city gates
Dipping the brush fully into the ink and shaping its tip just right, a few quick strokes bring the “Fu” (Fortune) character to life on a square piece of paper in an instant. Each year around the Spring Festival, Sun Xiaoyun, the president of the China Calligraphers Association, finds herself busier than ever. For nearly 20 years, she has been writing “Fu” characters and Spring Festival couplets, distributing them to both urban and rural areas.
What is the Spring Festival? Sun described it as “a time for expressing best wishes through calligraphy and sharing them with others to bring joy to everyone.”
In the Year of Yisi, which corresponds to the zodiac sign of the Snake, Chinese people celebrate their first Spring Festival following the successful application for World Heritage status for this traditional celebration. The application is subtitled “social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year.” In Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, the event of “Hanging Spring Festival Couplets on City Gates” has been a significant social practice for welcoming the Spring Festival for the past 10 years and has become a beloved new custom among citizens as they celebrate the arrival of spring.
Sun has been writing Spring Festival couplets for the city gates of Nanjing for 10 consecutive years. As a resident of Nanjing for nearly 70 years, she has a deep affection for this historic city. “In the first few years, I wrote for Xuanwu Gate, which I passed by countless times on my way to and from work. I have a special connection to it, and I feel particularly honored to hang Spring Festival couplets on the Ming City Wall.”
In the past two years, Sun’s “Fu” characters and Spring Festival couplets have been displayed not only on city gates but also in subways and high-speed railways. Following her example, calligraphers from across the province and even the country visit high-speed railway stations, subway stations, bus terminals, as well as rural areas, communities, schools, hospitals, and other locations to create and distribute Spring Festival couplets and “Fu” characters. They even hand them out on trains before the Spring Festival each year, allowing the art of calligraphy to accompany people during their holiday travels and journeys home. When her “Fu” characters and Spring Festival couplets adorn the walls of ordinary homes and are held by passengers, Sun feels that she, too, receives blessings from others.
Why do people write the “Fu” character during the Spring Festival? Sun explains that the pictographic composition of the “Fu” character symbolizes the beautiful hopes of family reunion and happiness. The left side of the oracle bone script for “Fu” features the radical “礻”,which represents sacrifice and the act of praying for protection through offerings to the gods. The shape on the right top resembles the roof of a house, and below it is a “口”, symbolizing having food to eat. Additionally, the character has a “田” at the bottom right, representing land to cultivate. “Having enough to eat and drink, land to farm, and the entire family together—that’s what ‘Fu’ is all about,” she said.
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Traditional Chinese New Year customs
Traditional Chinese New Year customs are vibrant and diverse, encompassing various aspects such as year-end cleaning, honoring gods and ancestors, reuniting with family and friends, celebrating, and special dietary practices. Throughout their evolution and transmission, certain enduring customs have emerged. During the period leading up to the Spring Festival, people who have worked hard throughout the year engage in various activities to welcome good luck in the coming year.
Xiaonian (Minor New Year)
The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month
Xiaonian, also known as the Kitchen God Festival, marks the start of the Spring Festival celebrations. On this day, people pay homage to the Kitchen God, offering prayers for family harmony and good fortune in the New Year.
Cleaning Day
The 24th day of the twelfth lunar month
On this day, every household performs a thorough cleaning to sweep away the bad luck of the past year and welcome the positivity and freshness of the New Year.
Getting Pork to Prepare for the New Year Feast
The 26th day of the twelfth lunar month
On this day, people have pigs slaughtered to obtain pork for the New Year feast, while praying for a plentiful grain harvest and prosperous livestock in the year to come.
Spring Festival’s Eve
The last day of the twelfth lunar month
The eve of the Spring Festival holds special significance for the Chinese people. On this important day that marks the year’s end, regardless of how far they may have traveled, people make their way home to reunite with their families, bid farewell to the old year, and embrace the arrival of spring.
The Spring Festival
The first day of the lunar New Year
On this day, it is common for people to visit their elders and neighbors to exchange New Year’s greetings. Elders often present lucky money to the younger generations as a gesture of blessing.
Returning to the Maternal Home
The second day of the first lunar month
According to traditional customs, married daughters visit their maternal homes on this day with their husbands and children. Family members strengthen their bonds through various customs and activities together.
Welcoming the Kitchen God Back
The fourth day of the first lunar month
According to folk legends, on this day, the god in charge of the kitchen fire checks on each family’s status. As a result, every household prepares abundant fruits, burns incense, and lights candles to show their respect and welcome.
The Arrival of the God of Wealth
The fifth day of the first lunar month
On this day, people engage in various activities to welcome the God of Wealth, hoping to attract prosperity for the year ahead.
Celebrating Human Day
The seventh day of the first lunar month
In traditional customs, the seventh day of the first lunar month is celebrated as the birthday of humanity. People commemorate this day to express their good wishes for life.
The Lantern Festival
The 15th day of the first lunar month
People express their longing for reunion, happiness, and a better life through traditional customs, including eating tangyuan (sweet dumplings), solving lantern riddles, setting off fireworks, and enjoying the lantern displays.
Text by our staff correspondents
Translated by YNTA