5 favourite Chinese New Year songs, from China’s answer to All I Want For Christmas is You, by Andy Lau, to Sam Hui’s tune about the God of Fortune

The Year of the Dragon is almost here, which means Chinese New Year songs like Joyful Years, by Adam Cheng and Liza Wang, will play around Hong Kong and beyond
What else might we hear? A 1981 song reinterpreted by Cantopop stars including George Lam, and one written in 1945 about the Sino-Japanese war

Chinese culture

Lily Zi

Published: 7:15pm, 10 Jan 2024

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With a little over a month to go before the Year of the Dragon arrives, it’s the time of the year when festive Lunar New Year songs are played in supermarkets and shopping malls – in a loop.

These classic tunes are as much a tradition as fireworks and nian gao (New Year cake) and, who knows, some may actually grow on you. Here are five of the all-time favourites.

1. Wishing You Happiness and Prosperity (1945）

This familiar tune was written by Chinese songwriter Chen Gexin in 1945 to celebrate China’s victory in the second Sino-Japanese war.

The lyrics tell of wartime hardships and the desire for a peaceful future. Phrases like “After so much suffering, so much pain” and “How many hearts are looking forward to the news of spring?” reinforce this theme.

The song’s original melody was composed in a minor key and had a sombre tone, reflecting its commemorative nature. However, people later associated the chorus of “Congratulations” with New Year celebrations.

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As a result, later versions of the song added more drums and a faster tempo to sound more festive.

2. Joyful Years (1977)

Written and composed by Kwan Sing-yau, the original 1977 version sung by Adam Cheng Siu-chau and Liza Wang Ming-chun remains the most popular.

Its lively lyrics beautifully describe New Year scenes and express wishes for family reunions. True to its title, the joyful tune is very catchy and a total earworm.

3. Fortune God Has Arrived (1978）

God of Songs meets God of Fortune. Penned and performed by the “godfather” of Cantopop, Sam Hui Koon-kit, this tune is most auspicious, as it welcomes the God of Fortune or Wealth. Hui plays the most popular deity in Chinese mythology in a music video accompanying the track.

According to the lunar calendar, the fifth day of the first lunar month is dedicated to welcoming the God of Fortune. On this day, people wake up early to clean their home and shops return to business, wishing for a prosperous year ahead.

4. Blessing You (1994)

Written by Cantopop lyricist James Wong jum-sum and composer Joseph Koo Ka-fai, the song was first released in 1981.

In 1994, a new version of this song was released, and several popular stars were invited to reinterpret it, including George Lam, Sally Yeh, Andy Lau, Dicky Cheung and Kenny Bee. This song is all about dreams coming true and leading a happy and peaceful life in the coming year.

5. Gong Xi Fa Cai (2005)

This is an extremely popular Lunar New Year song in China and is considered to be the equivalent of All I Want for Christmas is You in the West.

Sung in Mandarin, it was released by Lau on January 14, 2005 and the lyrics include mention of Chinese hurdler and 2004 Olympic gold medallist Liu Xiang.

The music video for this song features more than 20 animated ink paintings and shows Lau “travelling” around the world to shower people with auspicious New Year blessings.