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Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is celebrated across China and in many parts of Asia and the world where Chinese communities can be found. It is often marked by time off work or school and includes family visits, meals together, and games like mahjong.
A shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s retail sales rise 5.5% in January as tourists loosen purse strings

Census and Statistics Department says retail sales for January worth HK$37.3 billion, marking ninth straight month of growth since May 2025.

Trending in China

China worker wins 10-day paid leave on first day back from Spring Festival holiday

Hong Kong environmental issues

Editorial | Hong Kong wants ecotourism, not overtourism

Trending in China

China village event sees 600 men bow in homage to ancestors, ignites gender debate

Major ceremony takes place in area considered the cradle of Chinese ritual culture; critics say patriarchal spectacle is ‘antiquated’.

A Chinese village held a stunning ceremony where 600 men bowed in homage to their ancestors, igniting discussions online about tradition versus patriarchy, as women looked on. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo
China travel

Why China’s travellers spent little, despite rise in Chinese New Year trips

The country logged a record 596 million domestic trips over the extended holiday, but consumers are still reluctant to loosen their purse strings.

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Trending in China

China youth shun ‘nosy’ relatives at Spring Festival, take part-time jobs for cash

Nagging family members, burden of cooking for festive feasts see growing number of people deciding to stay in big cities where they work.

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Artificial intelligence

China’s MiniMax, Moonshot top AI token use ranking, ending year of US dominance

AI hosting platform OpenRouter’s latest ranking shows high demand for Chinese open-source models following a series of new releases.

Chinese open-source AI models’ surge to the top of token usage on OpenRouter ended US labs’ reign on the platform’s leaderboard over the past year. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

Why this ancient custom requires kids to ‘sell ignorance’ on Chinese New Year’s Eve

Centuries-old ritual saw children run around outside assailing passers-by after hearty festive feast; tradition also seen as being good for health.

Trending in China

China boss offers US$26 million bonus; staff can pocket bills within set time

Company head says he does not love giving money away, but simply understands the financial struggles his workers face in their daily lives.

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Aviation

Helicopter travel takes off in China during Spring Festival rush

Helicopter services boomed during the Chinese New Year, offering fast travel and new routes across different cities.

Demand for helicopter flights surged during China’s Spring Festival. Photo: Handout
Robotics

Editorial | As China takes to robots, human touch needed more than ever

Amid the excitement over the humanoid performers at the Spring Festival Gala, it must be remembered that robotic advances should complement human welfare.

Robots perform during China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala 2026 on February 16. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong visitor numbers jump for Chinese New Year holiday as gold sales shine

But Hong Kong residents make 3.95 million outbound trips between February 13 and 23, nearly 10 per cent more than last year.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Trump is abducted by aliens and has Chinese ‘twin’ in chaotic Cantonese opera

Showing in Hong Kong, Trump on Show 4.0 combines political satire and surreal Sino-US commentary but feels like a ‘paper tiger’ with no bite.

China stock market

China’s top court backs legal action against corrupt firms amid equity rally

The court’s initiative marks ‘a positive sign that the market would sustain its upward momentum’, hedge fund manager Zhou Ling says.

A statue of a bull is displayed outside the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Photo: Reuters
China consumption

Ne Zha 2 hangover? China’s Lunar New Year box office plunges to 6-year low

China’s holiday box office fell nearly 40 per cent year on year as studios failed to find a breakout hit to match last year’s Ne Zha 2.

People line up to enter a cinema in north China’s Tianjin. Photo: Xinhua
Artificial intelligence

AI apps soar in China as Lunar New Year giveaway battle boosts user growth

Tech firms score win as AI assistants become part of holiday consumption – from buying food and booking travel to planning entertainment.

China consumption

China’s weak consumption gets Lunar New Year boost

An 8.6 per cent increase in Lunar New Year spending is a rare bright spot in Chinese efforts to bolster domestic demand.

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China travel

Chinese tourism to Japan plunges 50% over Lunar New Year as Thailand cashes in

Thailand was the top destination for China’s outbound travellers over the extended holiday, with tourists avoiding Japan amid rising tensions.

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A lion dance troupe performs for tourists in Bangkok’s Chinatown during the Lunar New Year holiday. Thailand was the most popular destination for China’s outbound travellers during the holiday. Photo: EPA
China travel

‘Chinese everywhere’: why tourists ditch Tokyo for Seoul as Japan ties sour

Diplomatic row with Japan sent more Chinese travellers packing for Korea, filling its hotels over the nine-day holiday and offering relief to a sluggish domestic economy.

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Singapore

Sharing the luck: inside Southeast Asia’s embrace of Lunar New Year

Malay and Indian households are increasingly embracing the festivities, tossing ‘yusheng’ and giving hongbao to show ‘unity in diversity’.

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Ant Group

Ant’s AQ health app tops 100 million users amid holiday surge

Growth comes as China’s ageing population fuels demand for AI-assisted health monitoring tools.

The rise of AI health apps in China comes as the country navigates a rapidly ageing demographic. Photo: Handout
China consumption

Boom or bust? China’s Lunar New Year spending data is in – here is what we know

Initial figures show record travel, shifting spending patterns and a weak box office.

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Customers choose mobile phones at a consumer electronics store in Zaozhuang, east China’s Shandong province, on Saturday. Local authorities rolled out a series of stimulus programmes and policies to help boost consumer spending during the holiday. Photo: Xinhua
Thailand

Thailand ‘buzzing’ with travel boom as Chinese tourists back in droves

The country’s heavy investment in wooing Chinese visitors appears to have paid off as it overcomes safety fears to secure holiday growth.

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Robotics

Opinion | Humans vs robots? China begs to disagree

As China embraces humanoid robots, policymakers and companies are expanding the scope of innovation and applications in daily life.

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Hong Kong environmental issues

Calls for better supervision of Hong Kong’s campsites after areas inundated

While authorities have stepped up patrols in recent days, improvements in public education and limits on crowds needed, campers and hikers say.

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A conservation officer reminds visitors to keep the environment clean at Ham Tin Wan in Sai Kung. Photo: Edmond So
The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong defender Leung put family first, now he’s ready to chase starting spot

Jacky Leung is the only player in Saturday’s 23-man squad based on the mainland and is back in the fold after a two-year absence.

Jacky Leung (left) tracks Wang Xiyang during the first leg of this year’s Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Chinese culture

Feng shui tips for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs for the Year of the Horse 2026

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares where each Chinese zodiac sign can place items for good luck in the Year of the Fire Horse.

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Hong Kong racing

Editorial | Record post-Covid horse race attendance kicks off an auspicious year

The ‘fantastic’ atmosphere at the ‘Year of the Horse’ race meeting captured the spirit of an agile city undergoing a sound recovery.

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