Spring Festival Encyclopedia: A guide to the biggest festival in China

[Design by Kou Jie, special thanks to Pixabay]

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the biggest festival celebrated in China, along with many other Asian countries, such as Singapore and Malaysia. Traditionally, the festival lasts up to two weeks, with the climax arriving around Spring Festival eve, while each day showcases different customs, celebration and cultural elements.

This year’s Spring Festival falls on Jan. 25. According to the Chinese zodiac, which features a 12-year cycle with each year represented by a specific animal, 2020 is the Year of the Rat!

For most Chinese people, the five-character term “衣食住行乐”, which means “clothing, food, residence, movement and entertainment”, fully represents their basic needs and hopes in their future life. This year, People’s Daily Online has provided our readers a Spring Festival Encyclopedia covering the five aspects mentioned above, bringing you interesting facts that you didn’t know about this grand festival!