Originally Posted by
FederalFlyer
Well I've read elsewhere that the cities empty out during CNY, and everyone here seems to agree with that. I guess my question now is whether I should skip CNY altogether and head somewhere else (Thailand, Bali?). The thing is, CNY looks pretty amazing in the YouTube clips I've come across from both SH and HKG. But all they really show are the fireworks. If eateries and places to grab a drink won't be widely open, then it seems I should save my first trip to these places when things are busier. I see that at least one person above suggested just that... Is that the consensus?
CNY is worth experiencing at least once, but grows old very quickly. If you're going to do it, why not fly into Beijing (the eye of the storm) on NYE or the day prior, enjoy the fireworks, do the temple fare routine (though probably not Llama Temple on day 1; extremely long line), and break away to SE Asia the same evening?
Most mid-sized and above restaurants are open during CNY, but tend to lack customers (which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the venue). Like I (and others) have mentioned in previous CNY threads, CNY is a bit like Thanksgiving (family holiday), but YOU can be "family" for a day or two.