Travel in Beijing

As the year 2008 of Rat is going and the year 2009 of Ox is coming, Beijing will soon be in Spring Festival fever again. As Chinese New Year is the time for family reunion in China, people living away will return home, just like Christmas in the West. Let’s take a look at the capital in Spring Festival fever — all around the city…

Impression 1: Red lanterns Everywhere
During Chinese New Year, Beijing is definitely in Spring Festival mode. Everything red… fitting for the capital of China! Big Red Lanterns are hung from the trees or out of buildings during the Chinese New Year celebrations everywhere in Beijing.

Impression 2: Spring Festival Couplets & Chinese Character "Fu"
During the Spring Festival of every year, all families in both urban and rural areas traditionally handpick a pair of Spring Festival couplets to paste on the door, adding some joyous atmosphere to the festival.

During the Spring Festival, every household usually sticks posters of various sizes bearing the Chinese character "Fu"(meaning "good fortune") on doors and walls. The character is a symbol of happiness, bliss and fortune. Sticking the poster upside down means the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity, because the Chinese word "Dao", or "upside down", sounds similar as "Dao", or "arrive".