Chinese New Year in Asia-What To Do, Where to Go!

I have been enjoying The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year for several years now in Asia. It has become my most looked forward to celebration just because that’s what everyone else looks forward to here, at least in East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. I have seen so many wonderful festivals that take place around CNY and I have been fortunate enough to have had invitations for New Year’s eve dinners so my experience of CNY is quite complete except for the fact that I didn’t grow up with it so it is not naturally my instinctive holiday season. Nevertheless I have experienced great joy celebrating with others and seeing some of the best festivals and rituals on the planet. In the episode I listed several festivals I’ve attended in Taiwan including The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, and The Taiwan and Taipei Lantern Festivals. If you’re coming to Asia during the Chinese New Year and you will be either in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong Macau, or Malaysia or Singapore, you will have opportunities not only to see celebrations at the temples but some of these other festivals that coincide with the holiday. As well as the Chinese New Year markets that are usually set up approximately 2 weeks prior to CNY. For Taiwan, many people ask me when the best time of year to visit is. Chinese New Year is a wonderful time to visit as you will have a chance to not only see the boisterious festivities taking place at temples but you will have the opportunity to check out the wonderful lantern festivals if you’re here long enough. Also, if you are bothered by the heat of East Asia, during the Winter season temperatures are much milder, particularily in the North, but Southern Taiwan although tropical, also cools down. Thanks so much for listening!