What's open this Chinese New Year, from restaurants to museums

The Beijing venues that are open, and closed, over Spring Festival

Beijing closes down during Chinese New Year, from February 5, 2019 (or even earlier), to welcome the biggest celebration of the year. You should expect many of your favourite spots to be closed for at least some of the time, especially smaller restaurants and shops.

But don't lose hope! Many places will still be open for business throughout the holiday. Here's a list of tips for first timers and then a rundown of some of the more notable spots that are staying open or closing for the holiday. We'll keep updating this feature as we learn more, so keep checking our website. 

Around town

Open

Beijing Museum of Natural History Closed Feb 4-5, reopens Feb 6

Beijing Planetarium Closed Feb 3-6; open Feb 7-24 (9.30am-4.30pm)

China Railway Museum (Zhengyangmen) Closed Feb 4-7; open Feb 8-10; closed Feb 11

China Science and Technology Museum Closed Feb 4-6, reopens Feb 7

Camera Stylo Closed Feb 4, open remainder of Chinese New Year (3pm-late)

Catherine de France 

Chaoyang Park Open, but West Gate 2, East Gate 1 and East Gate 5 will be closed and will reopen on Feb 11

Cinker Pictures Closed Feb 4-8; open Feb 9-10 (3pm-midnight); Feb 11 (11am-1am)

Ditan Park Closed Feb 3-4; open Feb 5-9 (Spring Fair); closed Feb 10-11

Jingshan Park

Longtanhu Park Closed Feb 3-4; open Feb 5-9 (Spring Fair); closed Feb 10-11

Madame Tussauds Open Feb 4 (10am-6pm); regular hours from Feb 5 onwards

Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution Closed Feb 4-7, reopens Feb 8

National Museum of China Open every day except Feb 4

Ritan Park

Shijingshan Amusement Park

Temple of Heaven

Tuanjiehu Park

Closed

Roundabout (Cathay View store) Closed Feb 2-14

Today Art Museum Closed Feb 2-11

Restaurants & cafés

Open

Annie's (Riviera, Sunshine 100, Sanlitun)

Agua Closed Feb 3-7, reopens Feb 8

Biteapitta Open Feb 4-5 (midday-9pm); closed Feb 6-9

The Bookworm Open Feb 1-2 (9am-8pm); Feb 3 (12-8pm); Feb 4 (7am-5pm); Feb 5-8 (12-8pm); Feb 9 (9am-8pm); Feb 10 (12-8pm); regular trading hours from Feb 11 onwards

Bottega (Sanlitun) Open Feb 4-9 (5-11pm); regular hours from Feb 10 onwards

Bottega (Jinshang) Closed Feb 4-8; open Feb 9 (dinner only); regular hours from Feb 10 onwards

Café Flo (China World Mall and Parkview Green) Open Feb 4 (11am-5pm); Feb 5-6 (11am-6pm); regular hours from Feb 7 onwards

Café Flo (Taikooli) Open Feb 4 (11am-8pm); Feb 5 (11am-10pm); regular hours from Feb 6 onwards

Café Zarah Closed Feb 4-7; open Feb 8-10 (11.30am-9pm)

Caravan Open every day except Feb 5

C Pearl Closed Feb 4-5; open Feb 6-10 (5.30pm-1am)

Domain Open Feb 4 (7am-6pm); Feb 5-11 (10am-6pm)

El Barrio Closed Feb 4-8; open Feb 9 (dinner only); regular hours from Feb 10 onwards

F Bistronome Open Feb 4 (11am-5pm); regular trading hours from Feb 5 onwards

Feast (Food by East) 

Hagaki Open Feb 4 (11.30am-2.30pm); closed Feb 5; open Feb 11 (5.30-10pm)

Hana Open Feb 4 (11am-5pm); Feb 5-6 (11am-6pm); regular trading hours from Feb 7 onwards

Haidilao

Hatsune (Sanlitun) 

Home Plate BBQ Open Feb 1-3 (midday-11pm); Feb 4 (6.30am-3pm); closed Feb 5; open Feb 6-15 (midday-11pm)

Horizon

Hulu Open Feb 4 (11am-8pm); regular hours from Feb 5 onwards

Jing Yaa Tang

Kerry's Kitchen

La Rosée Open Feb 4 (11am-6pm); Feb 5 (midday-10pm); regular hours from Feb 6 onwards

Maison Flo

Migas Mercado Open Feb 4 (11.30am-5pm); Feb 5-6 (11.30am-6pm); Feb 7-10 (11.30am-midnight)

Moka Bros (Sanlitun) Open Feb 4 (8am-4pm); closed Feb 5; open Feb 6 (8am-10.30pm)

Moka Bros (Shuangjing) Open Feb 4 (8am-5pm); closed Feb 5; open Feb 6 (10.30am-6pm)

Moka Bros (Solana) Open Feb 4 (10.30am-5pm); closed Feb 5; open Feb 6 (10.30am-10pm)

Moka Bros (The Place) Open Feb 4 (7.30am-5pm); closed Feb 5; open Feb 6 (10.30am-6pm)

Moka Bros (Xidan) Open Feb 4 (10am-6pm); Feb 5 (midday-10pm); Feb 6 (10am-10.30pm)

Mosto Open Feb 4 (11.30am-3pm); closed Feb 5; open Feb 6 (11.30am-3pm, 5.30-10pm)

Mulu (Wangfujing)

Nyonya Kitchen Open Feb 4 (11am-5pm); Feb 5-6 (11am-6pm); regular hours Feb 7 onwards

Obentos (Grand Summit) Open Feb 3 (early closure of 3pm); closed Feb 4-7; open Feb 8-10 (11am-10pm); regular hours resume from Feb 11

Opera Bombana Closed Feb 4-8, reopens Feb 9

O'Steak

Ponte

Q Mex (Sanlitun)

Q Mex (Shuangjing) Open Feb 4-6 (10am-10pm); regular hours from Feb 7 onwards

Q Mex Taqueria Open Feb 4-6 (10am-10pm); regular hours from Feb 7 onwards

The Rug (WF Central and Chaoyang Joy City)

San Wu Tang

Tavola

Tribe (Wangfujing) Open Feb 3 (10.30am-10pm, kitchen closes 9pm); Feb 4 (10.30am-6pm); Feb 5-10 (10.30am-10pm, kitchen closes 9pm)

Village Café 

Closed

Annie's (Lido) Closed, delivery only

Annie's (Ritan Park) Closed Feb 2-Mar 28

Beyond Yakitori Closed Feb 4-10

Fiume Closed Jan 28-Feb 11

Furongji Closed Feb 4-11

Hatchery Arcade Closed Feb 3-11

Mercante Closed Jan 28-Feb 11

Mulu (Xinsi Hutong) Closed throughout Chinese New Year, private dining available by reservation only

Obentos (Lido) Open Feb 3 (early closure of 3pm); closed Feb 4-10

Pachapapi Closed Feb 2-12

Pebbles Closed Feb 1-11

Rollbox Closed Feb 2-11

The Rug (Chaoyang Park and Sanlitun) Closed Feb 2-9

Toast at The Orchid Closed Feb 4-11

Transit Closed Feb 3-10

Tribe (Sanlitun and Solana) Closed Feb 3-10

Bars and clubs

Open

Arrow Factory Closed Feb 4-6; open Feb 7 (11.30am-midnight); Feb 8 (11.30am-1am); Feb 9 (10.30am-1am); Feb 10 (10.30am-midday)

Beersmith

Boxing Cat Brewery Closed Feb 4-8, reopens Feb 9

Centro

Great Leap Brewing (all locations)

Jing A Open Feb 1-2 (11am-2am); Feb 3 (11am-midnight); Feb 4-7 (4pm-midnight); Feb 8 (4pm-1am); Feb 9 (11am-1am); Feb 10 (11am-midnight)

Lantern Open Feb 4; closed Feb 5-8; open Feb 9

La Social Closed Feb 4-6, reopens Feb 7

The Local Open Feb 4 (regular hours); Feb 5-11 (4pm-late)

Mesh Closed Feb 4-7, reopens Feb 8

Paddy O'Shea's Open Feb 4-9 (from 4pm onwards); regular hours from Feb 10 onwards

Paulaner Bräuhaus

Slow Boat

Side Street Open Feb 1-11 (1pm-2am, kitchen closes 10.30pm)

Xian Open Feb 4-11 (5pm-midnight); regular hours from Feb 12

Zhao Dai Open Feb 4 (DJs Romanowitsch, Kaize, Darcy); Feb 9 (DJs Ouyang, Kenkeni, TKL)

Closed

Dada Closed Feb 1-12

Little Creatures Closed 4-11

Mao Mao Chong Closed Feb 2-8

Modernista Closed Jan 28-Feb 14

Nina Closed Feb 4-11

Plan B Closed Feb 5-10

Sir Teen Closed Feb 1-13

Malls

Open

Galleria Shopping Centre Open Feb 2-4 (10am-6pm); Feb 5-6 (11am-8pm); regular hours Feb 7 onwards

Parkview Green Open Feb 4 (10am-5pm); Feb 5-6 (11am-6pm); regular hours Feb 7 onwards

The Place Open Feb 4 (10am-6pm); Feb 5-7 (11am-6pm); regular hours Feb 8 onwards

U-Town Mall Open Feb 4 (10am-4pm); Feb 5-7 (11am-8pm); regular hours Feb 8 onwards

Tips for first timers

The more local, the longer it's gonna be closed 

Small neighbourhood shops that provide day-to-day services like dry-cleaning, clothing repair, appliance repair, household goods will likely close down for the entire holiday, if not an entire month, starting from the first weekend of the holiday. Odds are pretty good that any neighbourhood shop that operates out of an apartment or unofficial commercial space will close for a good month.

Chains tend to stay open 

Big Chinese chains tend to close for New Year's Eve (Feb 4) and/or New Year's Day (Feb 5) but stay open during the remaining days of the festival. Hourly workers are paid three times their usual rate on state holidays so big companies will try to split the difference and re-open when they think customers are likely to return.

When in doubt, call ahead 

This seems like a no-brainer but even if you don't speak a single word of Chinese, odds are if someone picks up the phone then they'll be open. Most Chinese businesses and restaurants will take some sort of break for the holiday but time is money after all and business owners want to re-open and start raking in the first kuai of the new year, so call ahead and see if laoban will crack the whip and get things rolling for you.

For everything else you need to know about Chinese New Year in Beijing, hit 'Read more' below. 

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