Does Christmas exist in China?

Would you like to experience a Christmas atmosphere in China? It’s possible, but forget about our Christmas! What this tradition most resembles in China is limited to expenses and in a general sense to trade, or rather to ‘consumerist trade’ which includes: purchases of gifts, decorations of various kinds and lights, including fireworks.

Beyond, therefore, the dedication to work also linked to the culture of this population, which wants to celebrate Christmas more as a ‘working holiday’ originating from the historic Chinese agricultural tradition, it therefore takes on almost no religious character, but rather materialistic.

Of course, any trace of Christianity in China is mostly non-existent, while in the month of December the population is busy preparing the challenging ‘Chinese New Year’, or ‘Spring Festival’ which includes a longer period of time, approximately from mid from January to the end of February.

However, we cannot forget Beijing and Shanghai, the two main cities where Christmas is most highlighted. This is the right opportunity for the Chinese to exchange gifts, go shopping and almost experience a light Christmas atmosphere similar to ours, perhaps ‘more Christian’.

If you want to get to know the true Chinese tradition in the Christmas atmosphere, move to the characteristic towns of Guilin and Yangshuo, in southern China. Here you can see the traditional fishing villages on the Li river, markets and stalls, but above all the spectacular ‘Theatres on the water’, the ‘Sanjie Liu Show’.

The villagers themselves such as fishermen, farmers, traders and local people become protagonists and actors of this show. They work until late in the evening and at the same time, they stage a real ‘theatre on the river’ which becomes like a stage in the moonlight and lanterns reflected on the water.

A real and unique experience of living the local Chinese tradition, deviating from the frenetic pace of megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Maybe there, a Chinese Christmas exists!