Fenghuang, Hunan

With a name that means "phoenix", you can be assured of a remarkable Spring Festival celebration in this ancient small town in western Hunan province.

The locals keep to the traditional way of celebrating the Lunar New Year. Before reunion dinner, they will have a ceremony to worship their ancestors and after dinner, the older generations in the family will distribute hongbao or red envelops with money to children. And everyone stays up until the wee hours of the morning to usher in the New Year.

Fenghuang cuisine is mainly hot and sour, which makes you perspire as you savor the dishes. The names of the dishes, such as potted mushrooms and sour soup tofu, are enough to make you salivate.

Customs like making sausages and sweet wine, and shopping on the New Year Miao ethnic market remain very much alive.

The most interesting tradition is to float the river lantern. People gather on the Tuojiang River, put the paper-made lanterns on the water surface, light the candles and let the river takes the lanterns and the wishes of the people to wherever it flows. At midnight of New Year's eve, the local government will let off large-scale fireworks, which last for 40 minutes and are really a feast for the eyes.

A warm destination for winter holidays

From the first day to the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, there are also all kinds of performances and galas from various organizations and villages on Phoenix Congwen Square.

Qikou, Shanxi

The Qikou township is a remote town along the Yellow River in Shanxi's Linxian county. Its location at the boundary of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces gives it the rich culture and characteristics of both the places.

At Qikou, you can watch the ice floating along the Yellow River during the Spring Festival. The Yellow River looks like a huge snake that is casting off its skin. The ice cracks and rumbles like a rock concert on the river.

You can hide in one corner and daydream, or you can sit on heated adobe bed and learn to make cloth tiger and paper-cut decorations from local villagers.

The annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival brings ice sculptures, on-ice performances and entertainment galore to visitors. Liu Yang / For China Daily

Contact the writer at zhangzixuan@chinadaily.com.cn