Festival calendar at a glance
Exact festival dates shift year to year, and individual programs are confirmed by the organizers in the season
before the holiday. Your guide verifies the current schedule on the ground and adjusts the sequence accordingly.
| Date (2027) |
Lunar date |
What is happening |
| February 5 |
New Year's Eve |
Reunion dinners, the lantern areas close early, fireworks at midnight |
| February 6 |
Day 1 |
Morning greetings and red envelopes, the fairs open |
| February 7 |
Day 2 |
Family visits, door-god prints go up, folk parades |
| February 8 |
Day 3 |
The busiest day, opera and acrobatic troupes |
| February 13 |
Day 8 |
Lantern round-up, New Year sweets |
| February 20 |
Day 15 |
Lantern Festival, the climax of the season |
What to prepare
Documents. Your passport must stay valid for the whole trip with six months of margin. China offers
unilateral visa-free entry to passport holders of fifty countries for stays up to thirty days, and 240-hour
transit arrangements cover fifty-seven countries across sixty-five ports. These rules are reviewed and extended
periodically, so confirm your nationality's position before booking. Carry printed hotel confirmations, your
return or onward ticket and a day-by-day itinerary, because border officers may ask what you are doing in China.
Rail tickets. Spring Festival tickets go on sale fifteen days before departure, and these are the year's most
competitive dates. The 12306 official site accepts foreign passports, but you must complete identity and phone
verification before you can use its standby function. Use the standby order when a direct train is sold out.
Changes are free more than forty-eight hours ahead and cost a fee inside twenty-four hours; refunds are free more
than eight days ahead. Only the official app, website and station counters sell tickets.
Money and connectivity. Alipay and WeChat Pay accept overseas Visa and Mastercard cards, which covers nearly
every payment. Carry cash for small stalls. Download an offline map before you travel, because signal is
inconsistent on the desert and mountain sections. Buy travel insurance covering accident and medical treatment.
Clothing. Chengdu and Chongqing are cool and humid in February, around six to fourteen degrees Celsius. Wulong in the mountains is colder and can see snow. Bring a waterproof outer shell and shoes with grip for the wet stone lanes.
Manners. Firecrackers may not be carried or lit by visitors. Accept a red envelope with both hands and do not
open it in front of the giver. Do not present a clock or pears as gifts. Toasts are courtesy rather than a
challenge, and tea or water is an acceptable gesture. At temples and in residential lanes, ask before
photographing people at close range.
Getting around. Chengdu to Chongqing is a ninety-minute high-speed rail journey. Chongqing to Wulong is a coach transfer of about two and a half hours through the Wu River valley, with a stop at the Wuqiao karst viewpoint on the way.
Frequently asked questions
Is the New Year program suitable for children? Yes. The festivals are walk-through events with food stalls and
close-up performances, and the first two days are the busiest. The workshops are hands-on and most suit younger
children.
Do I need to book the festival tickets in advance? Yes. The main lantern areas use timed entry during the first
seven days of the holiday and sell out. Book on the official platform before you travel, and note that the festival
ticket is separate from the general site admission.
How much cash should I bring? A modest amount in small notes. Mobile payment works almost everywhere, but a few
cash-only vendors remain in the old quarters and at the craft workshops.
Can vegetarian meals be arranged? Yes, and you should say so when the booking is confirmed, because the reunion
dinner is built around meat and whole fish. Vegetarian versions of the regional noodle and vegetable dishes exist
and are good, but they need arranging in advance.
Is tipping expected? No. Guides and drivers are paid a full daily rate, and tipping is not a local custom.
Will the festival programs change before I travel? Festival line-ups are set shortly before the holiday and can
shift. Your guide verifies the confirmed schedule on the ground and reorders your days around it, while the places
and experiences listed here stay as planned.
How far in advance should I book? International flights sell out early and peak in price in the four weeks
before the holiday. Domestic rail tickets open fifteen days ahead. Hotel rooms in the city centers fill first, and
the smaller towns on this route fill before the large cities.
Will I see red envelopes, couplets and paper cuttings? Yes. Door-god prints, couplets and window paper
cuttings appear on shopfronts and homes from late January, and family members exchange red envelopes with children
on the first morning of the festival.
Is travel insurance necessary? We recommend it, covering accident and medical treatment. The festival sites
involve crowds and steps, and the northern route involves ice.
