Celebrate Chinese New Year at Baguio’s Spring Festival

With the large Chinese community residing in the Philippines, Chinese New Year (CNY) is celebrated extensively. There are different celebrations all around the country, typically punctuated by the iconic dragon dance. While it’s common to find CNY celebrations all over, the Spring Festival in Baguio is one that takes the cake every year.

CNY is celebrated between January 21 to February 20. There is no set date in the year as the Chinese follow the lunar calendar. The first day of the month begins during the new moon, and that count is what the Chinese follow as their “new year”. While they have moved to the Gregorian calendar like the rest of the world, most Chinese traditions and celebrations still follow the lunar calendar.

Spring Festival Details

The Spring Festival in Baguio is a collaboration between the local government and the Filipino-Chinese community. The celebration in Baguio, as with every CNY celebration, opens with a traditional lion dance, followed by the unveiling of activities by the Filipin0-Chinese community for the year. Chinese leaders also take this time to discuss the Chinese zodiac for the year (2020 was the year of the Metal Rat) and how it will impact different individuals in the coming months.

As is typical with Filipino celebrations, a parade usually starts in the afternoon and well into the evening. The celebration ends with concerts, performances, and lots of food for visitors to enjoy.

At the core of the festival is the hope of starting the New Year on the right footing. This means coming together as a community to attract a prosperous year, unity and peace amongst devout locals. In anticipation of this remarkable festival, it is not uncommon to come across Filipinos of Chinese origin spring cleaning their houses.

The idea behind this outward cleanliness is to act as a way to invite good luck. Many individuals will go ahead and serve delicacies, fruits and vegetables. Money in envelopes may also be handed over as a way to invite good fortune.

Surviving the Spring Festival in Baguio

Baguio is a very popular tourist destination. As it is, it tends to be crowded and chaotic, especially at tourist attractions. Come time for Spring Festival, things can get pretty out of hand with the number of people visiting and the activities happening on the streets. While Spring Festival is not as chaotic as Christmas when in Baguio, there are still some useful tips to have a grand time.

• Dress warmly and comfortably. Not all places in the Philippines are warm. At 1,540 meters, the city is perched up pretty high into the clouds. Weather ranges from 10 to 26 degrees Celsius. It may not sound too bad, but for a country that averages 35 degrees Celsius on a daily basis, Baguio is quite cool.
• Plan your movements. Baguio is a city with twists and turns, and the major roads are where most of the CNY activities usually happen. If you can manage it, it will be better to walk. Keep in mind, though, that there will be a lot of uphill and downhill climbs when you walk around Baguio.
• Find the right accommodations. Because Baguio is a cold-weather city, accommodations rarely have air conditioners. It’s also uncommon to have heaters. Check your accommodation for airconditioners or heaters if you’re sensitive to the heat or cold.

In the end, celebrating CNY in Baguio is a unique experience. While you will find lion dances all over the country, seeing it in Baguio amidst pine trees and in cool weather takes the celebration to a new level.