Timeless Traditions, New Beginnings: Four Seasons Welcomes the Year of the Horse Across Asia Pacific

As the Year of the Horse arrives — a symbol of vitality and fresh beginnings — Four Seasons properties across Asia Pacific invite guests to welcome the new year through time-honoured rituals, festive dining, and culturally rooted experiences that celebrate togetherness and renewal. Across the region, Lunar New Year is observed in ways that reflect local heritage and custom — from family reunion feasts and symbolic rituals in Greater China to Tet celebrations in Vietnam and festive gatherings across Southeast Asia.

“In Asia Pacific, Lunar New Year is celebrated through food, family, nature, and heritage,” says Rami Sayess, President, Hotel Operations – Asia Pacific, Four Seasons. “Our teams honour these traditions in ways that feel both timeless and relevant today. The Year of the Horse invites optimism and momentum — themes that resonate deeply with our communities and the experiences our properties create.”

From Jiangnan heritage rituals in Suzhou and northern-style reunion dining in Beijing to riverside feasts in Bangkok, Tet celebrations in Hoi An, and festive moments across island resorts from Koh Samui to the Maldives, the season comes to life with the warmth, artistry, and genuine care that define Four Seasons.

Heritage and Cultural Rituals

Honouring tradition and beginning the year with intention

Across China, Lunar New Year is expressed through deeply rooted customs that centre on family, symbolism, and auspicious beginnings.

In Suzhou, the new year unfolds through the poetic lens of Jiangnan culture as Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou presents its Heritage, New Year Blessings program. Lion dances, calligraphy rituals, traditional music, and symbolic offerings reflect centuries-old traditions rooted in refinement and balance.

In Beijing, elegant northern-style reunions set the tone for the season, with auspicious dining and heritage-inspired rituals designed to bring families together around shared tables and meaningful moments.

Guangzhou continues its rich Cantonese traditions through elaborate banquet menus served family-style, where dishes symbolising prosperity, longevity, and unity honour the city’s culinary heritage and the spirit of reunion.

By the mist-covered shores of West Lake, Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake marks the season with handcrafted festive pastries, literary storytelling, and seasonal menus inspired by classical poetry — blending Lunar New Year symbolism with the hotel’s tranquil natural setting.

Culinary Traditions and Reunion Dining

Auspicious flavours crafted for shared celebration

Across Asia Pacific, Four Seasons chefs interpret Lunar New Year traditions through menus designed for gathering and sharing.

In Singapore, Chinese New Year comes alive with a vibrant lion and dragon dance through the hotel’s public spaces, alongside an array of festive dining experiences. Highlights from Jiang Nan Chun include a Prosperity Yu Sheng featuring lobster, abalone, smoked salmon and surf clams, as well as handcrafted New Year takeaways such as the hotel’s Pineapple Tarts and Coconut Nian Gao — elegant expressions of tradition designed for festive gifting and sharing.

In Hong Kong, the holiday begins with a joyful lion dance, followed by festive dining experiences across the hotel — including the signature Walk of Fortune experience, available exclusively to resident guests, pairing a limousine journey to The Peak with personalised prosperity maps.

In Macao, Zi Yat Heen celebrates the season with a standout hero dish — Peppercorn Lobster Casserole — a contemporary tribute to the region’s historic spice-trade heritage, while in Osaka, Jiang Nan Chun at Four Seasons Hotel Osaka introduces a lively Lunar New Year moment through a traditional Lo Hei experience.

In Bangkok, the Michelin-starred Yu Ting Yuan leads the season with Cantonese reunion dining, where refined techniques meet auspicious flavours in dishes crafted for family-style celebration, complemented by festive moments across the riverside property.

Kuala Lumpur rounds out the region’s culinary celebrations with a lively Prosperity God welcome, guzheng performances, and festive menus that reflect Malaysia’s multicultural traditions and shared spirit of the season.

Tet and Seasons Celebrations Across Southeast Asia

Local traditions shaped by renewal and community

In Vietnam, Tet takes centre stage at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, with celebrations inspired by the Year of the Horse — a symbol of vitality and new beginnings in Vietnamese culture. Lantern rituals, lion dance and drum performances, temple blessings with local villagers, and traditional games mark the season, alongside Tet menus featuring Bánh Chưng and seasonal sweets. Wellness rituals, including a signature spa journey, invite guests to begin the year with clarity and balance.

In Chiang Mai, Lunar New Year arrives with heartwarming traditions inspired by Lanna culture. At Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, dragon parades, festive buffets, craft workshops, blessing ceremonies, and joyful breakfast rituals unfold against a backdrop of rice fields and mountain views.

At Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, the jungle itself becomes the setting for renewal, where nature-led moments, wildlife encounters, and culturally rooted experiences reflect the gentle forward movement of the new year.

Island and Resort Celebrations

Sunlit landscapes and relaxed beginnings

Across Southeast Asia’s resort destinations, Lunar New Year is celebrated with warmth and ease.

On Koh Samui, celebrations unfold under the moonlight through the island’s signature Secrets of the Moon experience, complemented by Fisherman’s Night festivities featuring lion dances, fire performances, and live music along the shoreline.

Across the Maldives, both Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaru mark the season with relaxed, sunlit celebrations — offering a tranquil counterpoint to the festive period and welcoming the Year of the Horse with serenity and island calm.