By Fang Jingyi Ge Rongchen Wu You Shi Yixin Illustration Lucie Loosová
Spring Festival, the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, was inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Dec 4, 2024.
Are you ready to immerse yourself in the rich and festive vibe? A variety of traditional New Year activities will be held across Hangzhou, along with exciting exhibitions and performances at museums and theaters. What’s more, you may even start your Spring Festival with the ultimate stress-relief experience of skiing!
Celebrations
Wushan Temple Fair
The fair is held in commemoration of Wu Zixu, a famous statesman from China’s Spring and Autumn Period. The fair includes sacrificial ceremonies and stalls selling calligraphy and paintings, as well as traditional opera performances, street singings, magic shows, acrobatics, and flower vendors, creating a bustling and lively ambience.
Time: Jan 15 to Jan 26, Feb 11 to Feb 12, Feb 14 to Feb 16
Location: Wushan Square
Xixi Wetland Spring Festival Lantern Show
The lantern show will feature the Spring Festival Lanterns among the plum blossoms, presenting a visual feast that combines traditional culture with modern art. This year, it will also include a “Water Margin” theme with a 40-meter-long Intangible Cultural Heritage lantern street.
Time: Jan 29 - Feb 12
Location: Xixi National Wetland Park
Fuchun Mountain National Trend New Year Lantern Festival
Combining traditional Chinese New Year, Fuyang culture, and Sichuan Zigong lantern-making techniques, the festival creates a stunning series of lantern art installations.
Time: Jan 22 to Feb 23
Location: Fuyang Water Sports Center
Museums and theaters
2025 Zodiac Exhibition for the Year of the Snake
Through a rich display of zodiac-themed artworks, this exhibition brings New Year blessings and good fortune.
Time: Jan 16 to Apr 16, 2025
Venue: Zhejiang Natural History Museum, Hangzhou Pavilion
“The Palace Museum’s Tea World” Cultural Relics Exhibition
This exhibition showcases the Palace Museum’s collection of exquisite tea-related cultural relics, offering visitors an immersive journey into the long history and profound heritage of Chinese tea culture.
Time: Jan 10 to Apr 6, 2025
Venue: Zhijiang Pavilion, Zhejiang Provincial Museum
Throwing Dragons -- From Mountain and River Worship to Sacred Caves
This exhibition explores the historical transformation of the dragon-throwing culture in ancient China and its significance in mountain and river worship as well as folk beliefs.
Time: Dec 1, 2024 to Mar 2, 2025
Venue: Gushan Pavilion, Zhejiang Provincial Museum
2025 Zhejiang Youth Orchestra Chinese New Year Concert
It is a part of the 2025 Provincial art units New Year Performance season and will be performed by Zhejiang Youth Symphony Orchestra and Zhejiang Youth Wind Orchestra before the Lantern Festival.
Time: 19:30, Feb 10
Venue: Hangzhou Canal Grand Theatre
Admissions: 50/80/180/280 yuan
Spring Festival Overture
The concert takes the Spring Festival as the theme, offering great festivity of the traditional Chinese New Year through powerful demonstration of the symphony orchestra.
Time: 19:30, Jan 25
Venue: Dongpo Grand Theatre
Admissions: 100/180/280/380 yuan
Skiing fun
Daming Mountain Wansongling Ski Resort
The resort is situated in Lin’an district at an altitude of over 1,200 meters, making it the highest-altitude and largest destination for snow appreciation, snow play, and skiing in East China.
Location: Baiguo Village, Qingliangfeng Town, Lin’an district
Transportation:Huolizhexi Line Bus from Hangzhou East Railway Station Bus station or Ski Bus from Wulin Square
Opening Hours: 8:45 to 18:00, available during the Spring Festival Holiday (except Jan 28)
Admissions (Online booking is preferred):
Spring Festival: 260 yuan/person/hour offline; 299 yuan/person online
Tonglu Shengxianli International Ski Resort
The resort is located in Tonglu County, offers a range of slopes for skiers of all levels. Nestled within its trails are three-million-year-old Quaternary glacial remains.
Location: pine-tip of Gaoliangting Village, Hecun Township, Tonglu County, Hangzhou
Transportation: Special Line from Tonglu High-Speed Railway Station
Opening Hours: 8:45 to 17:00, available during the Spring Festival Holiday (except Jan 28)
Admissions (Online booking is preferred):
Spring Festival: 399 yuan/person
Anji Skyland Ski Resort
Perched high above at 1168 meters, the resort is a 300,000-square-meter wonderland which boasts 3.8 kilometers of thrilling slopes snaking down the mountainside like silver dragons.
Transportation:Special Line from Hangzhou East Railway Station Bus station or Ski Bus from Wulin Square on weekends
Open Hours: 9:00 to 20:00, all available during the Spring Festival Holiday
Admissions (Online booking is preferred):
Spring Festival: 288 yuan/person