China Welcomes Year of the Fire Horse With Record Travel and a Spending Push

Overview

• The Lunar New Year began on February 17, ushering in the Fire Horse (Bing Wu) year, a 60‑year animal‑element pairing last seen in 1966.
• Transport authorities project roughly 9.5 billion trips during the Spring Festival travel season, surpassing last year’s estimated 9.0 billion.
• The official public holiday runs nine days, while festivities extend about 40 days across mainland China and in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea.
• Beijing issued more than 360 million yuan (about US$52 million) in consumer vouchers this month to bolster retail and services during the holiday period.
• Traditions and spectacle anchor celebrations, from temple prayers, fireworks and lion and dragon dances to a CCTV gala that prominently featured humanoid robots alongside performers.