ALTHOUGH the Spring Festival is an occasion for family reunions, it is also one of the most popular seasons for traveling and sightseeing. If you don’t want to spend your holidays at some overcrowded tourism spots, here are some ideal destinations to go.Enshi, Hubei

    Located in the mountainous southwestern corner of Hubei Province, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is the youngest autonomous prefecture in China and a gathering place for the Tujia minority group. As the beauty of Enshi is not yet familiar to travelers from South China, it is an ideal place for you to explore the culture and traditions of the Tujia people.

    For the Tujia People, Gannian Festival (Rushing to the New Year Festival) is the most important and grandest event of the year. Falling on one day before the Spring Festival, a series of traditional activities and celebrations will be held during the event. Among them, the hand-waving dance is a must-see activity. A lot of areas in the prefecture will hold the dance activity from Jan. 1 to 15 in the lunar calendar. People will dance in their traditional costumes under special Tujia-style stilted buildings.

    Other scenic spots in the area include Tenglong Cave, Enshi Grand Canyon, Xingdou Mountain, Seven Sisters Mountain and Pingbaying National Forest Park. The Tujia people are famous for making tofu. There are also other traditional delicacies such as spicy chicken, pickles and dried potato.

    Transport: Fly to Enshi from Shenzhen airport.

    Lhasa, Tibet

    There is also a lot of fun to be had in Lhasa, and at this time of the year nobody should miss the great Tibetan New Year.

    The Tibetan New Year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar. It is said to last 15 days, but the first three days are the most important. It is mainly celebrated over a period of three days in late January or early February. This year’s Tibetan New Year falls on Feb. 11.

    Losar is marked with ancient ceremonies that represent the struggle between good and evil. There is chanting and the passing of fire torches through crowds.

    Other activities include dancing, music, and blessings. For example, on the third day of January in the Tibetan calendar, Tibetans will go to the sacred Bhumpa Mountain and Chokpori Mountain to worship the mountain god and the water god. After the ceremonies, they will sing and dance together.

    Although the temperatures in Tibet are not very high in February, protections are still needed to prevent sunburn.

    Transport: Fly to Lhasa from Shenzhen airport.

    Tengchong, Yunnan

    Tengchong County, a vital link on the ancient southwestern Silk Road, is in western Yunnan Province and borders Myanmar on its northwest side. Tengchong’s diverse ethnic groups include Han, Dai, Hui, Wa and others.

    The county is one of the earliest developed regions and its history can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 25).

    The county abounds in geothermal energy, and the Spring Festival is the best time to enjoy its 80 steaming hot springs with piping-hot natural water.

    It also is noted for its rich tourism resources and offers national-level scenic resorts. Worth mentioning among the historic relics and scenic spots are the clustered volcanoes, clustered hot springs, the Relic of Neolithic Culture, Laifeng Monastery, Heshun Library, Dieshuihe Waterfall, Wengchanggong Taoist Temple and Taijiqiao Bridge.

    Famous local products include jade ornaments, jewelry and Chinese medicine.

    Transport: Fly to Kunming from Shenzhen airport and fly to Tengchong from Kunming.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)