Section

Culture

Not the textbook version: how China celebrates, believes and lives now.

2 guides · 2 of 2 checked in the last 90 days

Photo: Yihan Wang / Unsplash

Coming up in China’s calendar 节令

Lunar dates converted for you

11 Nov2026 modernSingles Day 双十一The year’s biggest online sale.Read →
22 Dec2026 solar termWinter Solstice 冬至Dumplings in the north, sweet rice balls (tangyuan) in the south.
15 Jan2027 lunarLaba Festival 腊八节Laba porridge of grains, beans and nuts; the run-up to New Year begins.
5 Feb2027 lunarNew Year’s Eve 除夕Family reunion dinner and the Spring Festival Gala on TV.
6 Feb2027 lunarChinese New Year 春节Year of the Goat begins; red envelopes and family visits.
20 Feb2027 lunarLantern Festival 元宵节Lantern shows and sweet rice balls; the last day of New Year.

Lunar festival dates converted to the Western calendar. China’s State Council announces each year’s official days off separately, usually in the autumn before.

Topics

8 areas · 2 guides so far

Festivals & holidays
The lunar calendar, public holidays and shopping festivals, and how people mark them now.
- Is Singles Day (11.11) still China’s biggest shopping festival?Yes仍是最大
Next Chinese New Year 2027
Beliefs & religion
Buddhism, Taoism, Confucian values and folk practice; the zodiac and lucky numbers in daily life.
- What is the main religion in China?No single religion无主导宗教
Next Buddhism in China today
Tea & food culture
Which teas people drink, how meals and banquets work, toasts and table manners. Dishes are in Food.

Next Which teas Chinese people actually drink

See Food →
Customs & family
Weddings, funerals, names, gifts, red envelopes and family life.

Next How Chinese names work, and the most common surnames
Games & pastimes
Mahjong, Chinese chess, square dancing, tai chi and kung fu: who plays, and where.

Next Mahjong: how it is played in China
Arts & heritage
Opera, calligraphy, instruments and crafts, and who still practises them.

Next Is Chinese opera still popular?
Pop & youth culture
Hanfu, guochao, C-pop, TV dramas, web novels and internet slang.

Next Is hanfu popular in China?
Regional culture
Food, dialect and customs change from region to region, and China has 56 officially recognised ethnic groups. City guides carry the local detail.
- Shanghai: what to see, eat and where to staySkyline上海
Next Ethnic groups in China: who they are and where they live

See Cities →