Fresh explainers, culture news, practical guides, and evergreen stories for readers who want to understand China with context.
Chinese New Year is the one week of the year when an entire country runs on optimism. Every action is meant to point the new year in a good direction — which is exactly why the list of …
The Chinese New Year season does not end with the fireworks of New Year’s Eve. It ends fifteen days later, on the night of the first full moon …
Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, rivers across China explode with color and noise. Teams of paddlers drive long, carved …
Every year during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, something unusual happens across China and Chinese communities worldwide. Streets that were …
The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节, Zhōngqiū Jié), also called the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is the second most important traditional holiday in …
Two weeks after Chinese New Year, another major festival lights up the calendar — the Chinese Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao Jie (元宵节). It falls on the …
What to Say (and Not Say) During Spring Festival: A Practical Guide to CNY Greetings, Taboos, and Small Talk Why Words Matter So Much During Spring …
How to Wish Someone a Happy Chinese New Year (Without Sounding Like a Robot) The phrase almost every foreigner learns first is also the one many …
Every year, millions of people around the world ask the same question: “What’s the Chinese New Year animal this year?” If …
15 Chinese New Year Traditions Foreigners Always Get Wrong You’ve seen the red envelopes, the dragon dances, the endless plates of dumplings. …
On the day called Lixia (立夏), which usually falls around May 5 or 6 on the Gregorian calendar, Chinese families across the country do something that …