In China, a Quieter Lunar New Year Reflects Economic Strain and Unease

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During what is traditionally the noisiest and most festive time of the year—the Lunar New Year holidays—many streets across China were strikingly subdued, residents say.

From rural villages to Beijing’s busy shopping district, people across multiple regions in China told The Epoch Times that this year’s holidays were “unusually quiet.” They described that foot traffic was sparse, markets were empty, and firecrackers—once synonymous with the holiday—were largely absent. For some, the stillness was unsettling.

The interviewees used pseudonyms due to fears of reprisal.

In China, migrant workers are rural laborers who move to big cities for jobs. During the Lunar New Year, the travel rush to rural areas is dominated by returning migrant workers.

“Before, you’d see crowds everywhere before the New Year,” he said. “Now you can go down the whole street without seeing cars.”

However, demographics are only part of the story.

In Xi’an, resident Song Wen told The Epoch Times that the absence of visible holiday decorations was the first sign that something had changed.

“In previous years, lanterns were hung across the streets,” he said. “This year, nothing. Bare.”

Song described what he sees as a deepening economic strain. “80 percent of people don’t have money,” he said.

“Migrant workers struggle to find steady pay. Some private companies and small businesses have delayed wages for months. Households facing mortgage and car loan payments are cutting back wherever possible.”

Even residents with stable pensions appeared hesitant to spend, he said. “I don’t know why. Whether they have money or not, no one is consuming.”

In Shandong province, small-business owner Lin Jian said the change was especially evident in daily commerce. “Before, the streets were full of people during the New Year. Now it’s cold and empty.”

“In Hebei [province], it was completely prohibited,” Qi said. “Even stricter than previous years.”

He described local officials and volunteers patrolling neighborhoods on Lunar New Year’s Eve, with reports that some residents were detained for setting off firecrackers. The result, he said, was a holiday night that was “completely silent.”

In Beijing, resident Xiao Lin told The Epoch Times that security presence during the holiday felt heavier than in past years. “The streets are full of guards and cops in plain clothes,” he said.

He also echoed a perception that the capital’s streets were less crowded than before, including in commercial areas such as Wangfujing.

He believes that population losses during the pandemic years were higher than officially reported, particularly in rural areas. These claims could not be independently verified by The Epoch Times. Still, Xiao noted that a sense of loss has contributed to a diminished vitality in some communities.

Across the country, residents described a country that is spending less and traveling less.

In Xi’an, Song said the atmosphere felt “like the holiday had already passed before it even began.”