Beijing, China, January 7, 2020―As the New Year’s Day celebrations fade, the Spring Festival quickly approaches—the most anticipated time of year for family reunions. Beyond the annual “ticket scramble,” this year’s Spring Festival reunion story has taken on a new twist.
According to Airbnb’s 2020 Spring Festival booking data, first-tier cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai ranked among the top three for domestic Spring Festival bookings, accounting for nearly 50% of total domestic holiday home reservations. In terms of travel types, group trips with three or more relatives and friends far exceeded solo or couple travel, making up 82%. It seems that the “reverse Spring Festival travel” trend—where families gather in the big cities where their children work—is becoming increasingly popular. Indeed, rather than having children rush home for a fleeting visit, why not have the whole family travel together to experience a unique New Year celebration in the city where their children strive? During the seven-day Spring Festival holiday, the average Airbnb booking duration was 5.2 nights. Traveling during the Spring Festival and reuniting with family while “celebrating the New Year with loved ones across the country” has become a new tradition for Chinese people.
Airbnb’s recently released animated short film for the Spring Festival draws inspiration from this new trend of “New Year reunions across the country,” telling the story of today’s young adults—Jiajia, a hardworking girl living away from home who can’t make it back for the holidays due to her busy schedule. Just when she thought she would spend the Spring Festival alone, her parents surprised her with a reunion dinner at an Airbnb listing in her city of work. This three-minute short film not only stirs the longing for family reunions during the Spring Festival but also encourages people to rethink what it means to come together: there are many ways to reunite, and wherever family is, that’s where the reunion happens.
At the dawn of the New Year, reunions happen everywhere. In an Airbnb “home,” you can not only enjoy the warmth of togetherness but also experience the true spirit of the Chinese New Year—“customs vary within a hundred miles, traditions differ within a thousand.”
Reunite in Beijing: put up window paper-cuts, explore temple fairs, spin windmills
Listing link: https://www.airbnb.cn/rooms/plus/28598334
The Beijing Spring Festival kicks off on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month with the Kitchen God worship ceremony. During this time, choose a classical courtyard Airbnb on Beijing’s central axis to welcome your parents. Like at home, mom cooks a meal full of hometown flavors. Follow local customs to honor the Kitchen God, put up window paper-cuts in the courtyard, and invite a year of abundance for the whole family. Over the holiday, the family can visit traditional temple fairs in Beijing, eat tanghulu, and play with windmills to spin in a year of good luck. This Spring Festival is bound to be extraordinary and full of joy.
Come to Shanghai: prepare New Year goods, eat steamed cakes, ring the Fortune Bell
Listing link: https://www.airbnb.cn/rooms/plus/27438889
Shanghai isn’t just about skyscrapers. This Spring Festival, slow down and reunite with family in this charming city. Stay in a centrally located Airbnb and experience old Shanghai vibes in a loft-style open space. On New Year’s Eve, cook together as a family and share a fiery, festive reunion dinner with your parents. On the first day of the New Year, ring the bell at Longhua Temple like the locals do, praying for favorable weather, peace, and prosperity. Also, join the bustling crowds at City God Temple to shop for New Year goods with the locals. Even if you’re reuniting with family in a foreign place, this Spring Festival will still be full of festive cheer.
Head to Guangzhou: buy New Year flowers, stroll flower streets, give tangerines
Listing link: https://www.airbnb.cn/rooms/plus/25709866
Known as the City of Flowers, Guangzhou is especially warm during the Spring Festival. While the north is still chilly, here the flowers are in full bloom. Hence, flowers take center stage during the Guangzhou New Year festivities. Reunite with your family in Guangzhou, start the day with dim sum at a traditional teahouse, then head downstairs to explore the flower markets, buy kumquats, pray for blessings, admire the blossoms, and attract good fortune. After a day out, return to your cozy Airbnb, sit around the table for a reunion feast, exchange blessings, and let the happiness of the year begin right at this moment.
The reunion you desire is all on Airbnb. This Spring Festival holiday, take your family on a new journey and experience this unique way of celebrating together—“family across the country.”
* All listings mentioned in this article are for inspirational and illustrative purposes only. Airbnb does not specifically recommend or endorse any of these listings.