Last Day of CNY: Get Out, Eat Juzi and Buns

Irene Li, Associate Editor | Feb 6, 2022 10:58 am | Add a comment | 191 reads

Time flies! We've already arrived at the last day of Chinese New Year! What's in store for the final day of the holiday?

1. Where are my kumquats?

Your Chinese friends might have told you to eat some 桔子 Júzi (kumquats) today. Why? That’s because tangerines are a symbol of good fortune. In Chinese, the character 桔 Jú is very similar to 吉 Jí, or luck. So better eat plenty of juzi today to get all the luck you can!

2. Got buns (and cakes)?

Beijingers are obsessed with eating snacks made from wheat flour, and the last day of CNY is no exception. On this particular day, people scarf down delicious 馒头mántou, 花卷 huājuǎn, and a variety of other buns and cakes because they believe these foods represent prosperity. Sometimes people will even form these buns into creative shapes, such as fish and flowers.

If you want to get a fix of these mantous, I would recommend a place called 宫门口馒头 Gōng Ménkǒu Mántou. Not only can you enjoy your golden, deep-friend mantous here, but this place also offers flavored mantous made with dates and brown sugar.

If you are looking for some cute mantou shaped like cartoon caracters, head to 满满元气枣糕 Mǎn Mǎn Yuánqì Zǎo Gāo to pick your next favorite buns.

3. Get out of your room!

The last day of Chinese New Year marks the holiday has almost come to an end, and on this day, Beijingers usually have a family outing to get some fresh air and to flex their muscles in the park.

To get your park fix, Ritan Park is an ideal spot, or if you're looking for a little more history thrown in look no further than Zhongshan Park, which, first opened in 1913 as Central Park, makes it the city's oldest public park.