China Tips: Preparing for Chinese New Year

All right China people. Its here. The biggest holiday of the year is less than 2 weeks away. Already, most east coast online sellers are refusing to ship things out west. Every year there seem to be a few new things, but here are just a couple tips from my experiences spending Chinese New Year in China, in case this is your first!

• ONLINE STOCK UP! -- Now is the time to think through everything you might need off Taobao between now and the 2nd week of the Spring Festival period. Most Taobao stores will close for the first week of the holiday, if not more. I know it sounds crazy, but everyone is VERY serious about time off and closing shop during Chun Jie. Some of the more major, high volume sellers may only close for 5-6 days, but you'd hate to need something those days they are closed. (I have not used Amazon.cn or JD.com during this time, so I'm not sure how much their delivery time is slowed down.)

• MARKET STOCK UP! -- I live near a large indoor market where I shop for most of my fruits, veggies and meat. Nearly all of these sellers will close up for at least a few days around the actual holiday. Some will be gone for 1-2 weeks. In my experience, there is always one or two stalls opening back up within a few days of the holiday in this large market, but prices are up and stock is down. If you get most of your stuff from a small, single shop seller near your gate or something, you might just ask them how long they plan to be closed. 

• GROCERY STOCK UP! -- Metro, Wal-mart, grocery stores, and even the smaller HongQi Chain Store type places will remain open. Maybe just early closing times on New Year's Eve (Jan 27 this year) and maybe reduced hours for New Year's Day. In our experience, however, stock supply and the amount of things on the shelves decreases throughout the holiday. Fresh veggie and fruit selection suffers the worst.

• MONEY STOCK PILE! -- I know this doesn't have to do with food, but its smart to get a good supply of cash before Spring Festival begins. ATMs can often run out of cash during big holiday weeks in China. 

Do you see the theme here? Its best during this time of year to be prepared. You might be surprised and these things won't be that big of a deal, especially in larger cities with lots of chain stores and restaurants. In small places, most everything is family-run and this is when nearly everyone takes their yearly vacation. Little neighborhood shops and restaurants will likely be closed at least one week. Just look around on doors and windows for notices or ask the shopkeepers or owners what their plans are. 

Enjoy the fun and festive air of the country this month! And best wishes for nights of good sleep amidst the noise if your city doesn't have a ban on fireworks! 

Any other tips for preparing for Chinese New Year?!