Losar, the Tibetan New Year

Monks at Songzanlin, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, hold several days of prayers that end with cham, a day of masked dances in the monastery courtyard. Dancers in deity and animal masks act out the defeat of harmful forces before the new year, to the sound of long horns, drums and cymbals.

How to join: Visitors can watch the dances at Songzanlin 松赞林寺, about 5 km north of Shangri-La. Arrive early for a spot near the courtyard, and dress for freezing mornings well above 3,000 m.

Etiquette: Walk clockwise around halls and stupas, never step into the dance space, and skip flash. Ask monks before taking close-up photos.

China's biggest holiday. In the run-up, Kunming's Dounan Flower Market 斗南花市 sells armfuls of blooms for the home, families gather on New Year's Eve for a reunion dinner, and in the first days of the year temples such as Yuantong Temple 圆通寺 fill with people burning incense for luck. Warm Xishuangbanna and the old towns of Dali and Lijiang are favorite holiday escapes for families from across China.

How to join: Visit a temple on the first or second morning of the year, walk a flower market, or ask to share a family's reunion dinner. Book trains and rooms well ahead: this is the busiest travel period of the year and prices climb sharply.

Etiquette: Wish people 'xin nian kuai le' (Happy New Year) and avoid talk of death or illness. Many small restaurants and shops close for the first three days.

For more than two centuries Lisu families from up and down the canyon have gathered at the Denggeng hot springs 登埂澡塘 north of Liuku in the first days of the lunar year, bathing to wash away the old year's ills and camping by the river between soaks, with singing contests and food stalls.

How to join: Come by day from Liuku, where rooms are easier to find, and bring swimwear and a towel. The hidden Nujiang Canyon route passes the springs on Day 1.

Etiquette: Wear swimwear, keep to the public pools, and ask before photographing anyone in the water.