If you’ve experienced anything remotely close to a Chinese New Year celebration, chances are you’ve seen some form of lion dancing. Traditionally, lion dancing is done on the first day of the lunar new year and it’s meant to bring good luck and fortune. On other special occasions, it’s used to show respect and well wishes for the guests of honor.

These dances begin with the guest of honor painting the eyes of the lions to bring them to life. Then the performers do an impressive routine that usually involves feeding the lion lettuce, who promptly spits it back out. Why lettuce and why the spitting? Well, the Chinese word for lettuce sounds similar to the word for “wealth,” so when the lion eats the wealth and spits it at the audience, it’s effectively an offering of prosperity.

With all these lion dances, the performers will move around the establishment so it’s best to show up a bit earlier. The lions wait for no one!

So, where can you see some lion dancing this year and maybe get a bit of good luck from them for the coming year?

Feb 1

Hotel Jen Beijing

Hotel Jen’s lion dance will take place in their lobby starting at 8.18am. Be sure to get there earlier to snag a good spot.

Address:
1 Jianguomenwai Dajie
建国门外大街1号
Tel: 6505 2277

Fairmont Beijing Hotel

Gather in the lobby of the Fairmont hotel before 9.58 am and get yourself a good spot to see the lion dances.

Address:
8 Yong’an Dongli, Jianguomenwai Dajie
建国门外大街永安东里8号
Tel: 8511 7777

China World Summit Wing Hotel

This one gives you a few more hours to sleep in on Feb 1. Their lion dancing starts at 8.38am but they recommend that you get to the lobby by 8.10am if you’d like to watch the performance

Address:
1 Jianguomenwai Dajie
建国门外大街1号
Tel: 6505 2299

Universal Studios Beijing

Inside the park, they’ll be doing multiple dances throughout the day on Hollywood Blvd. Much like the parades, you’ll wanna post up along the boulevard to watch the performances at 11am, 3.30pm, and 4.45pm.

Address:
Li Yuan Zhen, Tongzhou District
梨园镇北京环球度假区

Feb 4

Peninsula Hotel Beijing

I love how festive the Peninsula gets for every holiday. Their lion dancing is a few days later than everyone else’s and it lets you sleep in a few extra hours to boot. On Feb 4, the lions start their show in the lobby at 11am. Be sure to arrive early to get a good spot!

Address:
8 Jinyu Hutong
金鱼胡同8号王府半岛酒店
Tel: 8516 2888

KEEP READING: Where to Celebrate CNY With the Family

Images: Pexels, giphy, Fairmont Beijing, Mina Yan

A friend of mine recently had a baby shower and because her due date is actually on Chinese New Year, she received a lot of tiger-themed baby clothes. The cute little ears and whiskers stitched onto swaddling blankets and baby shoes got me thinking though: What characteristics are attributed to children born during this lunar year by traditional Chinese astrology? And what can we expect from all these little tiger babies?

A quick internet search revealed that those born in the year of the tiger are thought to have qualities such as strength and leadership. What’s more, they are viewed as intelligent, talkative, and playful but are also known for quick and aggressive tempers. They are considered honest, to a fault, and are often accused of being a little too frank with their opinions. Nevertheless, their strong sense of justice combined with confidence, generosity, and a big personality win them lots of friends and admirers.

Tigers are also seen as one of the most ambitious and hardworking of the Eastern signs, and one of the supposed dangers for this zodiac inhabitant is stress and self-imposed perfectionism. The upside to these traits? Tigers tend to make a good living. Especially in legal, leadership, and economic fields as they are big on fairness and good with their coin.

It turns out being a tiger is only half the story, the other half being their element. Wood, fire, earth, gold (metal), and water are the five elements that complement the zodiac signs. Each of the 12 signs has a fixed element, the tiger’s being wood, which is associated with creativity and playfulness. But, to further complicate matters, 2022 itself is marked by the water element which rules responsiveness, persuasion, and flexibility. This means that children born in February of this year will be known as Water Tigers – the last water tiger year was 1962! – and the flexibility of the water element may help curb their perfectionist tendencies while persuading others to see their creative vision. Not a terrible combination. In fact, Kate Spade, Tom Cruise, and Jon Stewart are all water tigers and all three are known for being detail-oriented, globally-minded, interested in social justice, and passionate, inspiring people.

But wait, there’s more! Traditional Chinese medicine has rules for each person’s sign and element as well. Because tigers are so active and strong, they are seen as having few medical issues. And yet, their high-stress levels can result in liver problems that are traditionally said to be linked with this sign, as well as injuries from participation in sporting events which are believed to be more common because of how competitive tigers can be and how hard they push themselves.

As with Western astrology, this is meant to be interesting and fun. You should take all of it with a heavy dose of salt as it is rooted in tradition, not science. Every little one is a unique individual with their own gifts and challenges. Enjoy your little tiger baby for the perfectly imperfect human they are!

KEEP READING: CNY Gift Sets and Toys for the Family To Learn and Play Together

Images: Canva

Jingkids has been an essential family resource for Beijing international families since 2006. And just as kids grow up in the blink of an eye, Beijing has grown and changed almost beyond recognition in that time. In Throwback Thursday we usually jump in the time machine, traveling through our 15 year-strong blog archives for your reading pleasure, but today we offer a reflection from one of our teen correspondents on how the second Chinese New Year in Covid times made her holidays sweeter.

This has been the second Chinese New Year we celebrated in the shadow of Covid-19. With new restrictions imposed regarding dining in public and other gatherings, we were all a little discouraged at first. But the unexpected silver lining is that Chinese people have returned to the traditional way of celebration, back before fancy restaurants, temple fairs (庙会 miào huì), and traveling became popular.

“Bai Nian Le! (拜年了!)” — I’m sure the phrase has been ringing in everyone’s ear for the past two weeks. Although the meaning behind is “Happy new year”, the literal translation is “I’m paying you a visit this new year”. This idea of paying a visit has become the new trend this year as more and more families returned to paying friends and relatives home visits like the Chinese traditionally do.

Ever since New Year’s Eve (除⼣ chú xì), my family’s schedule has been bombarded with home visits. This is the first time in four years that my family’s been able to celebrate the holiday together in China. Having experienced the frustrations of being separated during Chinese New Year, my parents welcomed a friend whose family is outside of Beijing to join the reunion.

New Year’s Eve was my mom’s absolute favorite day. Before the supermarket opened for the day, she waited outside the gate so she could bring home the freshest vegetables and meat. For the entire afternoon, she buried herself in cooking the grand Reunion Feast (年夜饭 nián yè fàn) as we refer to it. There was fish, salad, clams, and inevitably, dumplings. But of course, before the scrumptious dinner, we replaced the Fu (福 “luck”) and couplet on our door. When we ripped last year’s off, we found our door coated with glue and remains from the previous years, an awful mess but proof of our long-lasting tradition. This became my favorite part of all the home visits: admiring the diverse Fu designs that differed from door to door. My family strictly upholds the tradition of staying at home on the first day of the new year (⼤年初 ⼀ dà nián chū yī). We’re also rather superstitious about not cleaning the house on this day, particularly with a broomstick, because it’s considered sweeping the good luck away. This time is reserved for family and rest, nothing else.

After the first day of the new year is when the home visits come flooding in. My mom invited a group of friends over to play card games. Everyone brought a small plate of something to piece together lunch and from midday to almost 10 pm, they played round after round, completely losing track of time.

Chinese New Year is often seen as the ultimate time for shopping, even more so than Double Eleven sometimes. My family is no exception. Other than stocking up our fridge, we purchased a projector and a massive screen, transforming our living room into a cinema. This was a longtime dream of my mom’s. For months she’s looked forward to watching the annual Spring Festival Gala (春晚 chūn wǎn) via a projector. With this new asset in our apartment, other families have stayed over until 2 am watching comedy movies while actual cinemas were all sold out.

I remember when our guests left, my parents exclaimed: that’s the spirit of Chinese New Year! And they’re right. In my opinion, it’s a time of simplicity. It’s a time for throwing worries out the window and welcoming laughter with open arms. The only complication is the gift-giving cycle: stacks of Hongbaos and boxes of fresh fruit with golden oxen printed on the cases. No one ever shows up at a home visit empty-handed, that’s the rule. But even this trouble melts when we’re knocking on the newly-applied Fu of a friend or relative’s door. The past year of frustration is replaced by a smile as we greet each other with three simple words: Bai Nian Le.

KEEP READING: A Feast of Flavors: Mother-Daughter Bonding Time at East Hotel’s Int’l Brunch

Images: Pexels

LEGO bricks are as much a part of childhood as mud pies and dress up. Following the success of the TV show LEGO Masters in the UK and US, kids — and adults — are drawn to building complicated sets and enjoying family time to create something together.

When we were planning to relocate to Beijing, every business trip meant another special China-themed LEGO set: The Great Wall set helped prepare our young kids for the enormity of such a landmark, and the Dragon Dance set was not only a cool way to learn about the Chinese New Year but also to teach the mechanics of a moving set!

So, of course, it’s exciting the hear the announcement made at the 3rd China International Import Exhibition (CIIE) that the special LEGO sets for the New Year are out soon! Let’s take a look:

The Story of Nian
RMB 699

The Story of Nian set will go on sale here on January 1, 2021.

Centered around a family, their residence, an ox for The Year of the Ox, and of course, the Nian (a legendary monster that is said to come out of its hiding place at Chinese New Year and is thought to be the origin of the practice of setting off fireworks on Chinese New Year’s eve), this set will be a fun way to not only tell them the story of Nian but let them act it out. With the emblematic red door, firecrackers, and loud beating of drums to scare away Nian, your kids can help Beijing ring in the new year.

Spring Lantern Festival
RMB 999

A nice addition to the CNY sets is the Spring Lantern Festival, which closes out celebrations.

Possibly one of the prettiest sets so far, the Spring Lantern Festival set does a nice job of containing the celebration, rather than allowing each separate piece to sprawl as in past years. It is really a fun design that allows young imaginations to prepare for how they can join the festival themselves!

LEGO DUPLO Town Happy Childhood Moments Chinese Culture Lunar New Year Set
RMB 999

DUPLO joins in the fun this year!

The really little ones aren’t left behind, either. LEGO DUPLO comes through with a set tailor-made to show children in China having fun with their family for the Lunar New Year. This set comes complete with traditional dinners, tea, hongbao, and of course, a panda.

The new sets are available in the China and Asia Pacific markets on January 1, 2021, and worldwide on January 10, 2021.

KEEP READING: Start Your Holiday Shopping With Bookstores Who Ship Internationally

Photos: LEGO product websites, Cindy Marie Jenkins

Huanghuacheng Lakeside Great Wall (北京黄花城水长城) isn’t an ordinary hike of the world-famous attraction. It’s a retreat to the hustle and bustle of crowded and polluted Beijing. And for those who have already gone to the more “touristy” Great Wall sections like Mutianyu and Badaling, Huanghuacheng is an amazing sight without the usual crowds.

The Great Wall in Huanghuacheng

Last weekend, Foreigner China Network (WeChat: foreignerandchina) organized a trip to Huanghuacheng, in the northern Beijing district of Huairou. The journey took almost 1hr and 45min from our rendezvous at Huixinxijie subway Line 10 station, with about 20 minutes at a petrol station for a quick stop.

When we got off the bus, we entered a small village with some convenience stores and restaurants (closed when we arrived) to the main entrance. Not surprisingly, our group of about 30 people was among the few that visited the area.

Birds-eye view of the small village near Huanghuacheng Great Wall

We started climbing the western side of the wall, near the broken end by the dam. From thereon, the trek was full of high steps and steep descents, but it was enjoyable as we were the only people there. Our group was composed of people from different nations; there was a Cuban couple who visited their daughter in Beijing. Some hikers I met were from Mongolia, Egypt, Nepal, and Pakistan.

The hike, I must say, is quite difficult but rewarding. One of the must-see spots is the “submerged” part of the wall near the lake (which was probably caused by the dam). The lake was so frozen that in some parts you could see how thick the ice was. It was not possible, however, to see the bricks beneath the ice. After indulging in that spot, we went to the “sand beach” or the lake coastline through a bridge, The beach is the entry to a forest at the feet of one of the mountains. The flat plains from the beach to the forest are in many ways an area where one can relax, but be prepared as the way up to one of the highest Great Wall towers is very hard to climb.

The “submerged” part of the Great Wall, which was actually a broken section.

Once we got from one of the highest wall towers, this what we saw:

We took a 30-minute break at the top and ate our snacks. The way down back to the beach is equally difficult. But instead of taking the bridge route, we went to the frozen dam through the mountainside. This way is much easier and I recommend taking it for those bringing kids.

The whole hike lasted for a good 3 hours. As I said, it’s rewarding since you have the chance to talk with other hikers during the climb. The trip can be a short weekend escape and also an alternative to temple fairs this Lunar New Year. FCN regularly posts announcements of trips to Huanghuacheng via their WeChat (foreignerandchina).

Travel essentials/notes

• An entrance ticket costs RMB 45 for adults and RMB 23 for students/children
• Bring packed lunch and water as there are no open restaurants along the route.
• Wear warm clothes and gloves
• Mobile signal is pretty strong but low temperatures tend to drain mobile batteries fast

How to get there

• By bus: From Ditie Shaoyaoujuzhan stop, aboard Bus 942 Rapido towards Chawu Huochezhan. Get off at Qiaozi station (after 25 stops, approximately 1hr 7min ride) then ride on Line H21 bus toward Xishuiyu for 1hr 35min. The terminus is Xishuiyu village and from there, walk about 800m to the entrance.
• By car/driving: It is highly recommended to take a group trip to Huanghuacheng. FCN offers a day trip worth RMB 100 which covers the ride, a bottle of water, and an insurance for the one-day trip.