4 great cities to celebrate Chinese New Year

There are many cities hosting extravagant Chinese New Year celebrations that include parades, fireworks and more. Here are some of the best cities to celebrate Chinese New Year.

• Beijing has one of the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations in the world. Beijing's temples have hosted hundreds of years of public entertainment for the holiday.
• The celebrations feature martial arts displays, lion and dragon dances and many delicious festival foods at the various temples in town, especially the Longtan Temple and the Dongyue Temple. They also feature fireworks, fairs and sports competitions.

• This large city in the south of China hosts flower fairs for Chinese New Year. Guangzhou is known for its beautiful blooming gardens all over the city.
• Usually the flower fairs start a few days before Chinese New Year and reach a peak on New Year's Eve.
• Guangzhou's celebration also features folk performances, local artists selling their work and a number of huge plant displays all over the city.

• Chinese New Year is the biggest annual holiday celebration in Hong Kong, and they do their festivities a little differently than the cities on the mainland. The celebrations usually start on New Year's Eve with a night parade and entertainment by groups from many different countries.
• On New Year's Day there is a huge fireworks display at Victoria Harbour.
• On the day after New Year's, the Spring Festival races begin and over 100,000 fans head to the Sha Tin Racecourse for a program of racing and entertainment.

• Shanghai's celebrations reflect the mixed culture of the city. It hosts a number of live concerts in all kinds of different genres at its different theatres, concert halls and arts centres.
• There is also a Chinese-style celebration at the temples in Shanghai, where visitors can pray and ring bells to usher in luck for the new year. Longhua Temple, City God Temple and Jing'an Temple are some of the most popular locations to visit.

Remember that Chinese New Year usually takes place in January or February, which are the coldest months in China. If you're planning to attend an outdoor celebration, remember to dress warmly so you can enjoy yourself.