Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is a traditional holiday celebrated in China and other East Asian countries. The Lunar New Year celebration is known as well as the Spring Festival. It traditionally runs from Lunar New Year’s Eve through the Lantern Festival, for a period of approximately 14 days. See below the anticipated celebration dates for the next three years.

• 2016 Spring Festival – February 8 through February 22.  Year of the Monkey.
• 2017 Spring Festival – January 28 through February 11.  Year of the Rooster.
• 2018 Spring Festival – February 15 through February 21.  Year of the Dog.

If you will travel to China and other East Asian countries during the Lunar New Year, consider the following recommendations from the U.S. Department of State, the CDC and the International Center Risk and Safety Office.

• Follow the Traveler Best Practices to prepare for your trip and obtain institutional travel authorization.
• Read the CDC Lunar New Year travel notice.
• Read the CDC H7N9 and H5N1 advisories for health recommendations to reduce your risk of infection from these bird flu strains that have been seen in China.
• Prevent mosquito bites. Visit the CDC Avoid Bug Bites page.
• Follow the CDC advise for Travel to Mass Gatherings.
• Follow the U.S. Department of State Road Safety recommendations.
• Learn about the Embassy of China (Washington, DC) Visa Application Center Holidays.

The risk information in this report is retrieved from official sources as listed. It provides general guidance for UT Dallas travelers. Please note the publication date of this post, and go to the direct sources listed above for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this post may change without prior notice.