Chinese New Year's Eve dinners in high demand nationwide as reservations surge

Chinese New Year's Eve dinner bookings are in high demand, with online reservations tripling year-on-year as of January 16, industry data showed. Many restaurants were fully booked as early as three months in advance, highlighting upcoming strong consumer spending during the Chinese New Year, the Global Times learned.

As of January 16, more than 40,000 restaurants nationwide were offering online reservations, with some allowing installment payments to secure meals and seats, data from Meituan showed.

Searches for "intangible cultural heritage cuisine" have surged, with cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Xi'an, and Suzhou topping the list of related searches, as reported by Meituan.

This trend underscores the growing demand for convenience and the critical role of online platforms in enhancing the holiday dining experience.

Private rooms during the three days of the Kitchen God Festival, also known as the Little New Year on the Chinese lunar calendar, Chinese New Year's Eve, and the first day of the Chinese New Year were reserved a month in advance. Bookings for company annual meetings have increased by more than 20 percent compared with last year, according to Gao, a manager at Haidilao in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province.

Additionally, dishes from intangible cultural heritage cuisines have grown increasingly popular for Chinese New Year's Eve celebrations.

Dishes from intangible cultural heritage menus are also gaining popularity. Orders for group-buying packages featuring such dishes have surged more than 12 times year-on-year, and reservations at high-end Black Pearl restaurants have doubled, according to Meituan.

Wu Jiani from Hefei, East China's Anhui Province, who sought Beijing roast duck for her family, found restaurant seats fully booked and opted to order the delicacy online instead.

Restaurant businesses are introducing new dishes, hosting festive activities and staying open throughout the holiday to meet the demand. For instance, Quanjude, known for its Beijing roast duck, has launched Chinese New Year's Eve gift boxes featuring special dishes, allowing consumers to recreate authentic flavors at home.

As of Tuesday, Haidilao restaurants nationwide reported about 40,000 Chinese New Year's Eve reservations, with more than 800 outlets remaining open for the festival.