Travelling in the busiest movement week of the year
Lunar New Year affects mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia — and they are not alike at all in terms of which apps work. This explains the differences and how to prepare.
Quick answer
- The date moves every year with the lunar calendar, and each country's public holiday period is different. Check the holiday calendar of the country you are visiting before planning.
- In mainland China, many apps and services you use daily may not be reachable. Plan in advance how you will stay in touch and which maps you will use.
- Domestic transport sells out fast in this period. Book ahead through official channels and keep tickets on the device offline.
The period is not the same in every country
Lunar New Year is the holiday when enormous numbers of people travel back to their home towns, and its effect on travel depends on where you are. In mainland China it is the largest movement of people in the year, with domestic rail and air tickets selling out far ahead. Taiwan and Hong Kong have consecutive holidays and a lot of outbound travel. In Singapore and Malaysia there are fewer public holiday days, but many shops and services close for several. The exact dates everywhere follow the lunar calendar and each government's announcement, so they change every year.
What matters for preparing the phone is that two countries two hours' flight apart can be entirely different in terms of which apps are reachable. So if your trip crosses between mainland China and elsewhere in the region, prepare for two different environments, not one.
How mainland China differs
In mainland China a number of internet services familiar to overseas travellers may not be reachable, including some map apps, chat apps and email services. What is reachable changes over time and we will not claim to know the current state on your behalf. What you can actually do is prepare fallbacks in advance: download offline maps, save your accommodation address in Chinese, and agree with people at home which channel you will use to stay in touch.
- Download offline maps for every city you will visit, before you leave
- Save the accommodation address in Chinese as an image, in case a translation app is unavailable
- Agree a contact channel with people at home in advance and test it before flying
- Keep travel documents offline — tickets and accommodation bookings alike
- If you plan to use a VPN, check the applicable laws and terms for yourself first
| Where | What the period is usually like | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland China | Very heavy domestic travel and a different set of reachable apps | Offline maps, offline tickets and a backup contact channel |
| Hong Kong and Taiwan | Consecutive holidays and crowded attractions on certain days | Book what needs booking and leave travel time slack |
| Singapore and Malaysia | Some shops and services close for several days | Check opening hours on each place's own website before going |
| Regional international flights | Fill early and cost more than usual | Book ahead and keep boarding passes on the device |
A general picture of the period, not data for any one year, and not a price comparison.
Preparing step by step
- 1Before fixing dates: check the destination's holidaysThe date moves every year and each country's public holidays differ. Read that country's official holiday announcement rather than going by last year.
- 2Weeks ahead: book domestic transportDomestic rail and air tickets go fast in this period. Book through the operator's official channels and save the confirmations offline.
- 3Before flying: install the eSIM and test everything at homeInstall the profile on Wi-Fi, set it as the data line, and test that the app you intend to use to reach home actually works on this device.
- 4Before flying: download everything you will needOffline maps, translation language packs, the accommodation address and booking confirmations should all be on the device before you board.
- 5On arrival: confirm you are connected before leaving the airportLet the phone register on the network and check that maps and messaging work before heading out to a packed station where sorting problems out is hard.
FAQ
What date is Lunar New Year this year?+
The date moves every year with the lunar calendar, and the public holiday period that follows is announced by each country separately and is not the same. We do not state dates here — check the official holiday announcement for the country you are visiting.
Does an eSIM work in mainland China?+
Yes, when your device supports eSIM and the plan you buy covers mainland China. One extra thing to check: handsets sold in some markets do not include the eSIM function. Check device support before buying and read the coverage details on the plan page.
Will the apps I use every day work?+
It depends where you are. In Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia the environment is close to what you are used to. In mainland China a number of services may be unreachable and that list can change, so prepare fallbacks rather than assuming everything will behave as at home.
Country plans or a regional plan?+
If the trip crosses several places in the region, a regional plan is usually more convenient because you do not switch profiles. But always check the covered list on the plan page first, because mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan may be listed separately.
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