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Lunar New Year Begins, Ushering In Rare Year of the Fire Horse

China uses holiday vouchers alongside record travel to spur consumption.

Overview

  • Festivities launched today across China and global diasporas for a 15-day Spring Festival that concludes with the Lantern Festival.
  • Officials forecast a record 9.5 billion passenger trips during the 40‑day Chunyun period and have issued more than 360 million yuan in consumer vouchers to lift spending.
  • The Fire Horse pairing occurs once every 60 years and is widely described as a year of intensified energy, opportunity and volatility.
  • Customs include family reunion dinners and red envelopes, with first‑day taboos such as avoiding sweeping, hair‑washing, sharp tools, and black or white clothing to preserve luck.
  • Symbolic foods—dumplings for wealth, whole fish for abundance, niangao for growth, and spring rolls—anchor New Year meals in many communities.