Are you looking for things to do in Hawaii for Chinese New Year? Keep scrolling for my top picks for how to celebrate Chinese New Year in Hawaii this year.
This guide to how to celebrate Chinese New Year in Hawaii was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Will you be in Hawaii for the Chinese New Year?
You’re in luck! There are many events and activities happening all throughout the islands of Hawaii that are dedicated to this special holiday.
Whether you’re looking for something fun and family-friendly to do or want to learn more about the culture and history behind Chinese New Year, we’ve got you covered.
Here is your guide on finding all the Chinese New Year Celebrations in Hawaii! You will find many events and activities in all islands of Hawaii dedicated to this special holiday.
Keep scrolling to find out how to celebrate Chinese New Year in Hawaii in 2022.
Want to skip all the planning and just access my detailed Hawaii Itineraries complete with daily schedules, kid-friendly activities, and travel hacks? Click the button below.
Chinese New Year in Hawaii FAQs
You will find many celebration events all over each island in Hawaii for the Chinese New Year. The Lunar New Year is a holiday that everyone in Hawaii loves to celebrate. This is one of the many Hawaiian celebrations and holidays.
In Hawaii, you will find many of the Chinese traditions, especially for the New Year, including feeding the lion, the red envelopes, good luck charms, amongst others. You’ll find plenty to do in Hawaii during this special holiday.
Chinese New Year runs Feb 1-15, 2022 and it’s the Year of the Tiger.
Where to Celebrate Chinese New Year on Oahu
Hawaii Kai Towne Center Lunar New Year Celebration
Enjoy a fun dance and martial arts demonstration at the Hawaii Kai Towne Center this year! This center is located in Honolulu and will be held on Saturday at 11:00 am. Each year you will be able to enjoy this festive celebration at the town center.
Chinatown New Year Festival and Parade
Head over to Chinatown for a huge festival and parade. This is a day-long event and is one you definitely don’t want to miss. Here you can enjoy live performances, delicious authentic Chinese food, music, parade, crafts, and so much more.
This is probably one of the best Chinese New Year celebrations in Hawaii!
Chinatown Cultural Plaza Celebration
This is an annual event that is great for families. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii puts on a fun event filled with activities, food, and more every year. Usually, this is a two-day event that kids will love. Here you will see the fun lion dance, do some crafts, and eat tasty food.
Lunar New Year Lion Dance
Be sure to stop at the Royal Hawaiian Center located in Honolulu and see the Lunar New Year lion dance. You will also find many fun promotions and giveaways dedicated to the Chinese New Year. Many shops will have red envelopes to hand out with a purchase.
Town Center of Mililani Chinese New Year Celebration
In Mililani, head to the Town Center for some more Chinese New Year fun. This is another free, family-friendly event full of fun games, activities, crafts, and giveaways. There will even be live entertainment, including the lion dance.
Sing Yung Dragon and Lion Dance Association
Enjoy some great performances by the Sing Yung Dragon and Lion Dance Association. You will find them performing all over the place, especially in most Waikiki hotels. Check out their schedule to find a spot close to you.
Ala Moana Center
At the Ala Moana Center, you can find Chinese New Year events for a few days. From gifts with purchases, a cute selfie board to capture your excitement about this holiday, and some fun classes involving the celebration.
Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center
This amazing center in Hawaii is for little kids and will be filled with plenty of fun Chinese New Year activities. From a variety of crafts to the famous lion dance, this place has it all! Be sure to check out their events page for all the great activities for your kids.
International Marketplace
You will find the Lunar New Year celebration at the International Marketplace on Level 1 Queens Court. There will be traditional Chinese calligraphers, performances, music, and so much more. You will even be able to look at the moon with a large telescope!
Where to Celebrate Chinese New Year on Maui
Maui Mall Chinese New Year Celebration
Head over to the Maui Mall Village for some fun celebrations! You’ll be able to see plenty of live performances on the center stage. There will also be some Chinese New Year crafts for the kids to enjoy. This celebration will help support the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui.
Lunar New Year Gift
If you plan to do plenty of shopping at the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center in Maui, be sure to keep your receipts! If you have purchases of over $200, you will get a $20 gift card for the Lunar New Year!
Lion Dance Celebration in Makawao
In Makawao, you will see an annual performance of the lion dance! Au’s Shaolin Arts will perform the lion dance, have firecrackers, and a martial art show too. Head over to the Makawao History Museum to feed the lion.
Lahaina Chinese New Year Celebrations
Front Street in Lahaina is usually full of fun, family-friendly things to do for the Chinese New Year.
At the Wo Hing Museum & Cookhouse, you will find crafts and storytelling for the children. Then, you’ll be able to feed the lion some red envelopes in the street during the afternoon.
Chinese New Year Brunch Celebration At Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel
If you are staying at the Kā’anapali Beach Hotel, you’ll be able to eat a delicious brunch during their celebration. Eat some roast duck, shrimp egg foo young, and plenty of authentic Chinese food!
There will be fireworks later in the day as well as the traditional lion dance. This is a fun yearly event put on by the Kā’anapali Beach Hotel!
Where to Celebrate Chinese New Year on Kauai
The Shops at Kukuiʻula
You’ll find a fun performance at the Shops at Kukuiʻula, including a drum show by Tsunami Taiko. There will be firecrackers, a lion dance, and so much more!
This is a great Chinese New Year celebration that only lasts for a few hours in case you are on a tight schedule.
Kukui Grove Center
You will also be able to see some fun Chinese New Year celebrations happening at the Kukui Grove Center. Usually, you will see Tsunami Taiko Lion Dancers performing the traditional lion dance. There will also be some activities for the kids to enjoy as well.
Where to Celebrate Chinese New Year on the Big Island
Queens’ Marketplace Celebrates the Year of the Tiger
At the Queens’ Marketplace located in Waikoloa, celebrate Chinese New Year for six days! There will be a fun scavenger hunt for the children, which will teach them about this important holiday and win some prizes.
There are also some great decorations, so be sure to get a family picture when you go!
Hawai’i Community College’s Lunar New Year Celebration
If you are a student or are close to the Hawaii Community College, enjoy a quick little coffee and tea party for the Chinese New Year!
You can stop by either the Palamanui campus in Kona or the Manono Campus in Hilo for this event. There are also some fun virtual activities you can do as well!
Best Chinese Restaurants in Hawaii
Here are some of my favorite Chinese restaurants all over Hawaii. Each of these has many authentic Chinese dishes that will go perfectly with your celebrations.
You will be able to find tons of other restaurants filled with delicious Chinese food; however, these are just a few of the great ones.
Little Village Noodle House
At the Little Village Noodle House, you will find some of the best Chinese food you’ve ever tasted. This restaurant is located in Chinatown in Honolulu, Oahu. You can even order some takeout and eat on the beach if you wanted to! Here you will find potstickers, roasted duck, and honey walnut shrimp.
Ho’s Chinese Kitchen
In Lihue, Kauai, you’ll find Ho’s Chinese Kitchen. This restaurant includes traditional Chinese food that is fresh and delicious. They have crispy gau gee, ginger chicken, shrimp foo young, and so much more.
Lucky Belly
Lucky Belly is another great Chinese restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is open for dinner every day except Sunday. Enjoy some crispy duck tacos, wafu steak, lamb lumpia, and so much more. This restaurant has both authentic traditional Chinese food with some of the favorite Hawaiian foods as well.
Fu Lin Chinese Restaurant
If you are visiting Lahaina, Maui, check out Fu Lin Chinese Restaurant. They have just about everything you could want, including vegetarian food. It has 4.4 stars with glowing reviews claiming it is the best Chinese food on Maui!
Cheng’s Chop Suey House
During your time in Hilo, stop by Cheng’s Chop Suey House. They serve some of the best Chinese food on the Big Island! There is something for everyone to enjoy, from fried oysters to sai mein and roast duck!
Chinese New Year Crafts
Get your kids involved and create some fun Chinese New Year Crafts! Here are some adorable DIY Chinese lanterns your kids will love to make or a fun Chinese dragon puppet. These will help your kids get into the holiday spirit and have some fun getting creative!
Be sure to also get this free Chinese New Year printable for your kids to enjoy too.
Hawaii Chinese New Year Wrap Up
Chinese New Year is such a fun holiday. If you are visiting Hawaii during Chinese New Year, enjoy these fun events and activities! These will help make the celebration even more fun for you. Be sure to enjoy some delicious Chinese food as well.