In depth · Christmas & New Year
Christmas in Shanghai: the Bund in lights, Christmas markets and the Spring Festival
Shanghai wears Christmas with cosmopolitan flair. The grand old hotels of the Bund raise towering trees beneath their domes, Christmas markets and festive menus fill December, the waterfront glows on New Year’s Eve, and a few weeks later the city turns red and gold for the Spring Festival.
Updated October 2026
Christmas on the Bund
The great hotels of the Bund do Christmas magnificently. Beneath glass domes and in marble lobbies, towering trees, gingerbread villages and garlands appear in early December, and their restaurants and bars serve festive afternoon teas and Christmas Eve dinners with views across the Huangpu to Pudong.
Our advice: book Christmas Eve dinner and New Year’s Eve with a river view in November; they are the most sought-after tables of the year.
Christmas markets and services
In recent years German-style Christmas markets have been held in December, among them the long-running Christkindlmarkt now at the North Bund, with mulled wine, sausages and gifts; dates are published by the organisers in the autumn. Shanghai’s churches, including St Ignatius Cathedral in Xujiahui, hold Christmas services; check the parish arrangements in December.
New Year’s Eve
On New Year’s Eve the city lights the waterfront: in 2024 the Bund, North Bund and Lujiazui were illuminated from 6pm until after midnight, according to the Shanghai government, with festive lighting along Suzhou Creek and in the main shopping streets, though there was no official countdown show. The Bund promenade is the classic place to see the year in; expect crowd management and one-way routes.
The Spring Festival
Shanghai’s greatest celebration comes a few weeks later. Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027, the Year of the Goat, and the city fills with red lanterns, family feasts and temple visits. Yu Garden’s lantern festival is the most famous display, and the season ends with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day.
Questions and answers
Is Christmas celebrated in Shanghai?
Yes, as a festive season in hotels, malls and markets, though it is not a public holiday.
Are there New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Bund?
In recent years there has been no official countdown show; the waterfront is lit up instead.
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
On 6 February 2027.
Join the conversation
Spent Christmas in Shanghai? Share your favourite hotel, market or New Year view.
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Where 2026 dates are not yet published we describe the tradition only. Dates are from official and organisers’ sites, read in October 2026; check them before you travel.