The Spring Festival (春节), also known as Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, is a celebratory period filled with rich traditions and symbolic decorations. As we welcome the Year of the Snake in 2025, adorn your home with meaningful decor to bring good luck, prosperity and wealth.
From vibrant red lanterns to lucky bamboo stalks, read about the cultural importance and symbolism of these classic Chinese New Year home decorations.
We’ll go through the various decorations and explain why each is important for bringing joy to your home. Keep reading to learn the history behind these traditional items, and shop the best Chinese New Year decorations!
Vibrant and Eye-Catching Red Lanterns
No decoration shines brighter than the iconic red lantern during this festive Spring Festival season. During that time, the Lantern Festival is celebrated on the full moon of the 15th day of the first month during the lunisolar Chinese Calendar.
These paper or silk lanterns come in round, oval and rectangular shapes, each with auspicious meaning—the circle representing family reunion, the oval for prosperity and the rectangle for wealth. Hang lanterns around your house, by your front door and in windows to light the way for luck, prosperity and blessings in the coming Lunar year. The vibrant red hue is quintessential for CNY and wards off evil spirits and bad luck.
For eye-catching displays, string up dozens of lanterns together to adorn walls, ceilings, entranceways and more. Light up the lanterns or keep them purely decorative. You can find affordable red lanterns in all sizes and varieties at Chinatown street shops, local malls and Chinese emporiums. Go bright and bold with these iconic Chinese New Year decorations!
Also, you can find ong lai lanterns, which are placed at the entrance of temples and homes to welcome deities, gods and ancestors. These red or yellow pineapple-shaped paper lanterns mean good luck has arrived, and the deity is accompanying people home. You can also opt to complete the celebration with some last-minute pineapple tarts!

Closeup of red honeycomb paper lantern
Red Envelopes
Red envelopes, called Hong Bao in Mandarin and Lai See in Cantonese, are a traditional custom during Chinese New Year. They are given out to children by their elders to wish them good luck and prosperity. It is also customary for employers to give their staff red envelopes containing bonuses or cash rewards.
You can find these paper envelopes at gift stores, departmental stores, supermarkets, and craft shops or buy them online. Those who give out red envelopes usually fill them with money or even numbers and say a few words of blessing to recipients.

Reuseable Hong Bao is becoming a trend; image credit: Channel News Asia

Intricate and Meaningful Paper Cuts
Paper cutting is an ancient Chinese folk art that dates back thousands of years. The intricate hand-cut paper motifs and vibrant red colour reflect hopes and prayers for the future. Common auspicious CNY papercut motifs include fish for abundance, phoenixes for prosperity, cranes for longevity and dragons for power and strength—all highly auspicious symbols.
Display an assortment of hand-cut paper decorations as wall hangings or on windows and doors to usher in renewed fortune and blessings for the coming Lunar Year. The bold red colour makes for vibrant pops of festive decor. Look for papercuts depicting blooming flowers, lions, and the new year’s zodiac animal for more variety. With their symbolic designs and colours, papercuts make excellent and meaningful Chinese New Year decorations.

Decorating with paper cut traditional pendants
Poppers and Firecrackers
Party poppers, confetti poppers, and fake firecrackers are also popular decorations to add fun and excitement to the festivities. Use firecrackers to create cascading effects of light and sound, or hang festive poppers from ceilings, doorways, and staircases.
In Chinese culture, it is believed that the loud sounds of these party favours ward off the evil spirits and bring good luck. Usually, these CNY decor types come in red and yellow or gold, colours that bring prosperity to the year ahead.

Playing with sparklers on Chinese New Year
Upside Down Fortune Words
The Chinese character Fu (福) displayed upside down literally translates to the arrival or inversion of good luck and fortune. These lucky upside-down Fu words (倒福) printed on vibrant lucky red paper make for excellent decorations. They can be purchased ready-made or handwritten for more of a personal touch.
The Upside Down Fortune Words symbol can be interpreted as “Fú dào le” (福倒了), which means “good fortune has arrived.” This is because the words for “upside down” (倒, dào) and “to arrive” (到, dào) are homophones in Chinese. Therefore, hanging the Fu character upside down is a way to welcome good luck into the home.
These seasonal items are typically used during Chinese New Year celebrations to symbolise luck, prosperity and good fortune. They can also be found in other places, such as restaurants, or even hanging on the walls of a home. These words are believed to bring blessings to those who display them.

Sticking the upside down Chinese calligraphy of the word fortune
Poetic Couplets and Auspicious Phrases
What better way to decorate for the Chinese New Year than with meaningful words of blessing and prosperity? Red paper scrolls feature customary poetic couplets as well as auspicious phrases like “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (恭喜发财), which means “Wishing You Wealth and Prosperity”.
Traditionally handwritten or calligraphed by scholars, today’s couplets and phrases come pre-printed and ready to hang. Flank your front door or main entrance with these powerful, lucky words written in beautiful Chinese calligraphy and gold foil.
You can also display shorter auspicious phrases on small canvas hangings, wall decals and decorated window panes. Surround yourself with poetic blessings for a prosperous new year!

Decorating the house with auspicious phrases
Hong Cai Over Main Entrance
A key Chinese New Year decoration is the Hong Cai - a long strip of red cloth hung over the main entrance of homes and businesses. The vibrant red hue symbolises luck, prosperity and happiness for the coming year.
According to Chinese tradition, the Hong Cai protects the household from evil spirits and bad energy from entering through the main door. It also invites auspicious qi energy.
Flank your hong cai with couplets bearing auspicious phrases for an even grander display. Let this symbolic red decor infuse your entrance with fortune and vitality for the Lunar New Year!

Hong Cai over the main door, image credit: doorvisual.com
Mythical Snake Decor for 2025
In 2025, we welcome the Year of the Green Wood Snake. Adorn your home with figurines and sculptures of this enigmatic serpent to embrace the snake's attributes of wisdom, fertility, and renewed energy for the coming year. As an ancient symbol in Chinese culture, the snake represents good fortune, protection, and ability to overcome obstacles.
Seek out snake-themed decorative pieces, statues, and trinkets to display on shelves, tables, and around the home. From regal jade snake figurines to coiled wooden sculptures, you'll find a range of styles to suit your taste. Pair the decor with hanging scrolls or artwork depicting the snake zodiac sign to highlight its auspicious cultural symbolism. Proudly showcase your snake decorations to invite luck, wisdom, and prosperity into your life!
Lucky Bamboo Arrangements
Fresh yellow bamboo represents resilience, growth and renewed vitality for the new year. Decorated in lucky red and displayed in entryways and main rooms, bamboo stalk arrangements symbolise health and harmony. According to Chinese tradition, the taller the stalks, the better - representing growing fortune and prosperity.
Bamboo is easy to maintain and lasts for weeks, making it the perfect CNY plant. For an extra festive touch, intertwine ribbons, mini flags or flowers into the bamboo shoots. Placed high up, it makes an excellent eye-catching statement. Display fresh potted bamboo or artificial bamboo for good fortune, at least for the first month of the new year or throughout.
Another type of household plant for Chinese new year decoration is the pussy willow. The pussy willow symbolises new beginnings and rebirth. The stem of the willow is often dyed a bright red or pink to bring more luck and prosperity. Display the pussy willows around the home to create an atmosphere of freedom and joy!

Fortune plant that looks like little bamboo
Meaningful Flowers for Prosperity
Certain flowers and plants represent wealth and fortune in Chinese culture due to names, qualities or colours. For instance, chrysanthemums signify joy and longevity. Their golden hues also symbolise prosperity. Peonies represent honour, fame and prosperity. Kumquats, mandarins and oranges are believed to attract wealth.
Decorate your home with an assortment of these meaningful flowers and fruits for CNY. You can even choose between artificial flowers or their potted versions. They make for gorgeous room accents and centrepieces. Look for potted plants tied with red ribbons for a festive flair. Create flower basket arrangements or display branches in tall vases. The natural blooms infuse your space with auspicious energy and symbolism.
Adorn Tables with Red and Gold Décor
Bring prosperity to your dining table for Chinese New Year decorations by adorning it in red and gold - both auspicious colours. Numerous decorations, from table runners to plates, can make your reunions more festive. Choose vibrant red or gold plates and dishes. Supplement with layered red tablecloths. Fold quality red napkins into floral shapes.
For added symbolism, use decorative pieces like candlestands and vases featuring dragon, rabbit or flower motifs. Scatter golden ingots, coins or confetti for a glamorous statement. Use faux blooms as centrepieces, flanked by red candles or lanterns. You’ll ring in a prosperous new year with an intricately decked-out table!

Floral arrangement on the dining table for Chinese New Year
Shop Early for the Best Prices and Inventory
For the best price and inventory on Chinese New Year decorations, shop 1-2 months in advance. Retailers typically stock up on CNY goods right after Christmas and bring in new collections post-Thanksgiving. This ensures you get your first pick of festive decorations before shelves empty closer to New Year’s Eve.
Browse mainstream shops, Chinatown emporiums and roadside stalls for endless decor finds. For convenience, make online purchases - major local retailers offer CNY selections with delivery. Avoid heavy crowds and shop on weekdays when possible. Get a headstart on decorating so you can leisurely welcome the huge Lunar New Year celebrations!

Shop early for Chinese New Year
Where to Shop Festive CNY decorations in Chinatown
Finding CNY decorations is no difficult task, especially when the season starts to near Singapore. A handful of neighbourhood malls around the country, and especially Chinatown Singapore, have plentiful traditional decorations to choose from.
So, if you’re searching for Lunar New Year decorations or trinkets like a fortune cat, Chinese New Year streamers, or a Japanese chain to adorn your home, here are the places to check out!
People’s Park Centre
This bustling complex is home to stalls and a handful of party shop options selling Chinese New Year goods. Shop for couplet banners, wall decorations, fortune house plants, door couplets and more at affordable prices. With so much variety in one place, People’s Park Centre makes New Year decoration shopping easy.

People's Park Centre
Chinatown Point
At street level, Chinatown Point features shops stocking must-have CNY decorations. Find zodiac animal trinkets, plushies on the lower floors, and festive homeware like red plates and banners upstairs. Chinatown Point conveniently houses decorations alongside CNY clothes, snacks and gifts.

Entrance of Chinatown Point
Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium
With two expansive floors, this store has Chinese culture and decorations—source harder-to-find CNY antiques and handmade crafts alongside silk lanterns, faux floral arrangements and decor. Yue Hua is worth a visit for a curated experience.
Wherever you shop, surround yourself with decorations honouring Chinese culture and welcome an auspicious New Lunar Year!

Yue Hwa Department Store, image credit: yuehwa.com.sg
Happy Shopping
Chinese New Year decorations come in many shapes, styles, and sizes. Shop for traditional trinkets and decor all across the country and at Chinatown Singapore. Don’t forget to include essential New Year’s decor that includes the upcoming year’s zodiac animal, complete with auspicious sayings that will bring luck and joy in the new year.
Discover what speaks to you and celebrate the Lunar New Year with festive decor to spread prosperity and luck—wishing everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai!