Hangzhou buzzing with activities during Chinese New Year

Hangzhou provides a variety of holiday activities that are free from crowds. The Year of the Snake celebration will feature intangible cultural heritage and entertainment. Visitors can also enjoy Hangzhou's sights and sounds as spring arrives.

Museumgoers can enjoy exquisite art and displays. Those traveling by car should be aware of the odd-and-even license plate policy in the West Lake scenic area throughout the holiday.

Sizhu performances

Sizhu, "silk and bamboo," are Chinese stringed and woodwind instruments. The strings were made from silk, and the Chinese flutes were made from bamboo.

Traditional sizhu orchestras had between five and 12 musicians. Erhu (a two-string vertical fiddle), dizi (a bamboo flute), pipa (a pear-shaped lute with four strings), and yangqin (a hammered dulcimer) are the four major instruments.

The Deshou Palace, where Southern Song Dynasty Emperor Gaozong (1107-1187) stayed after retiring in 1162, hosts traditional sizhu performances around the Chinese New Year.

Emperor Xiaozong (1127-1194), Gaozong's son, commissioned the construction of the Little West Lake palace after his father indicated he enjoyed touring the West Lake. At its peak, the palace featured around 270 rooms and covered nearly 110,000 square meters.

Date: January 29, February 12

Time: 1pm-1:30pm, 2pm-2:30pm, 3pm-3:30pm

Venue: The Deshou Palace

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Imperial food exhibition

Hangzhou was the capital during the Southern Song Dynasty, one of China's golden eras with a thriving economy, technology and culture. The imperial Deshou Palace, with its top-tier poetic garden design, was a reflection of art.

The Southern Song Dynasty Imperial Food exhibition at the palace will recreate royal meals to revive the era's rich culinary culture. Please check the palace's WeChat for entry information.

Date: Through February 24

Venue: The Deshou Palace

Admission: Free

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Flower show

The Qianwang Temple flower show is a Chinese New Year tradition, where snake-themed poems inspire the floral arrangements. Bonsai captures nature's beauty and power in miniature, and this delicate craft has been practiced for generations.

Date: Through February 12

Admission: 15 yuan (US$2)

Venue: Qianwang Temple

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Opera performances

Chinese New Year operas will be performed at the Huanglong Cave, a local opera house, during the holidays.

Yueju is a Chinese opera style that originated in Zhejiang Province. Known for its grace and femininity, it features women playing most male roles, typically portraying young nobles and scholars. The themes are romantic, the music is gentle and melodic, and there are no crashing cymbals or martial arts involved.

Hangju, or Hangzhou Opera, is a genre that was popular in the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou area about a century ago. Performed in the Hangzhou dialect, it established a strong cultural foundation during that time.

After disappearing for nearly 40 years, local troupes resumed Hangju performances in 2001, reintroducing this traditional opera genre to the public.

The Hangzhou troupes have been developing new repertoires for years to expand their audience. During the holiday, the Huanglong Cave will present the classic Hangju opera "Su Xiaoxiao."

Date: January 31 to February 2

Admission: Free

Venue: Huanglong Cave

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