After a 6-year hiatus from celebrating the Spring Festival in China, I decided to keep it local this year and take a short trip through southeast Yunnan’s Honghe Prefecture in favor of a beach vacation. Check out some highlights from our trip through this stunning part of China, home to many Hani and Yi people, stunning rice terraces, and it being the Chinese New Year plenty of eating, drinking, and fireworks.

春运 – chūn yùn

Spring Festival rush

红河州 – hóng hé zhōu

Honghe Prefecture

建水 – jiàn shuǐ

Jianshui

情人节 – qíng rén jié

Valentine’s Day

羊年 – yáng nián

Year of the Sheep

红河县 – hóng hé xiàn

Honghe County

哈尼族 – hā ní zú

Hani people

乐育 – lè yù

Leyu

梯田 – tī tián

rice terraces

小河 – xiǎo hé

Xiaohe

年夜饭 – nián yè fàn

New Year’s dinner