Is one week after the start of Chinese New Year a good time to travel to China?
I want to travel to Beijing/Shanghai in the winter/early spring of 2007. However, Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) begins Feb. 18 and travel will be crazy. There are many crowds & full hotels as it is a business/school holiday and Chinese people will travel to visit family. I would really like to avoid this hectic period. Will waiting 1 week (Feb.25) be enough for crowds to go down and return to work, or should I wait until about March 10 or March 15?
February 4th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
You should be fine. I found that traveling during public holidays was just cazy. EVERYONE has the day off, and in China that means alot of people trying to take trains and buses and planes. Wait a few days and things calm down since everyone goes back to work. So yeah, you should be good.
Hope that helps
February 4th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
a week is usally all that is needed, but you also might want to give your self a cushion of space to make sure.
February 4th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Yes, if you like the smell of spent gunpowder.
February 4th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
yes
February 4th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
usually, the holiday ends 5 days after chinese new year. so i guess when you are there, most people are back to work.
February 4th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
I am a Chinese. In China Beijing/Shanghai we celebate Chinese new year for 2 weeks. Everything is more expensive and a lot of people. If you wait till the beginning of March is better. you can join the tour from Hong Kong ( Hong Kong only celebate for 7 days)
the tour in Hong Kong is including food, hotel and tour guide.
but you need to pay tips ( each tour is different )
there are 2 excellent travel agencies in Hong Kong – you can try to check on the price
http://www.hongthai.com/main.asp
http://www.chinatravel1.com/home.htm
February 4th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
one week is absolutely not enough better wait till march. cuz schools term starts in march so there will be less crowds everywhere. but why not visit there in january? you can experience the real winter in beijing.
February 4th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
no, because they have loooooongggggggg holidays for chinese new year and it’s like 15 days.
too busy and too many people
march is definitely better
February 4th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
One week is a shaky margin. Better make it two weeks.
February 4th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
i think its ok even if you travel to China during the Chinese new year. that way, you can see how the chinese celebrate this special event.
dont spend your Christmas and New year in China though. There’s no warm, Christmas-ey feeling during those days. You’ll be disappointed.