新年快乐,万事如意 (Mandarin: Xīnnián kuàilè, wànshì rúyì / Cantonese: san1nin4 faai3lok6， maan6si6 jyu4ji3) - Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true.
Chinese Lunar New Year 2026 is around the corner. Each year, all people of Chinese descent, including all people in China, HongKong, Taiwan, Macau and the diaspora from all around the world, celebrate this festival, regardless of age, wealth, location or religion. It is also called the Spring Festival 春节 (Chūnjié), as winter gives way to the new spring of the new year. It is one of the most important festivals of Chinese culture. During this time, everyone will try to make their way back to their parent’s native home, to have a family reunion dinner 团圆饭 (Tuányuán fàn), and spend time together with the larger family, and for many people, this could involve hundred or thousands of kilometers of travel. This year 2026, the first day of Chinese New Year will fall on 17th February 2026. The Spring Festival is a 15 day long festival.
During this time also, many shopping malls and markets (especially near where the Chinese community lives), will be decorated up for the festival. Mainly in colors of Red (most important) and Gold. Both Red and Gold symbolizes good luck and fortune. This year 2026 in particular, there will be horses as part of the decorations, as the main zodiac animal for the upcoming year is the year of the Horse. If you have a Chinatown near where you live, it’s also a good time to go visit to enjoy the decorations, try special food and snacks prepared for the festival, and do shopping as generally there will be sales and discounts during this time.
So much of words already typed above, main reason for this post to to share with all of you, the Chinese New Year decorations of the 28 most popular malls in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (where I live). A single photo for each of the mall. Since some of these decorations can be really extravagant, and cannot be fitted into a single photo, I tried my best to capture the better part of the view. Here are the photos below for each mall, no particular order, enjoy the festivities through this post. All photos are self-captured in the last few days, and I had a great workout too! Also know that most of these malls are connected on the Kuala Lumpur metro, so if you decide to visit, you can easily get to these malls.
(1) Pavilion Bukit Bintang Mall - Google Maps
A huge center courtyard decorated with lights, red flowers, lanterns, trees and horses.
(2) Berjaya Times Square Mall - Google Maps
A huge royal courtyard decorated with red clothes and lanterns, with a central golden horse and treasure boxes as gifts, with tables around set up as a royal banquet.
(3) Suria KLCC Mall (Petronas Twin Towers) - Google Maps
A beautiful traditional Chinese garden with lots of red and pink flowers, lanterns.
(4) Lalaport BBCC Mall - Google Maps
A traditional bridge of red and gold, with a golden horse galloping, and many red lanterns above.
(5) Mid Valley Megamall - Google Maps
A model of traditional Chinese community home with lots of red lanterns, orange trees and decorations.
(6) Nu Sentral Mall - Google Maps
A galloping red horse with lots of red and pink flowers and decorative mini lanterns.
(7) Sunway Pyramid Mall - Google Maps
A massive Chinese garden with hundreds of red lanterns hanging up high and many red and pink flowers blossoming signifying spring time. A golden horse way high up.
(8) The Gardens Mall - Google Maps
A beautiful decorated hall with lots of red flowers and lanterns.
(9) 1Utama Mall - Google Maps
A huge Chinese garden filled with red flowers and red lanterns above.
(10) Pavillion Bukit Jalil Mall - Google Maps
A huge stage decorated with red flowers and lanterns and banners with a plush smiling horse way up high.
(11) IOI City Mall Putrajaya - Google Maps
A massive Chinese garden with a tower with red flowers and lanterns and a giant horse made out of bamboo sticks decorated with red lanterns!
(12) Sunway Putra Mall - Google Maps
Chinese courtyard garden with lots of red cloth and lanterns and a galloping red horse coming towards us. A giant plush tiger also.
(13) MyTown Mall - Google Maps
A replica street with many red lanterns and Chinese drums with a red horse up high.
(14) The Curve Mall - Google Maps
A giant golden horse galloping from a pond with lots of red lanterns and flowers around.
(15) IOI Damansara Mall Surian - Google Maps
A giant center courtyard with a traditional Chinese garden and lot of red lanterns and flowers.
(16) TRX Tun Razak Exchange Mall - Google Maps
A beautiful Chinese garden with horses in the center piece, with lots of red and pink flowers.
(17) Pavillion Damansara Heights Mall - Google Maps
Lots of red lanterns above a red center court with flowers and stalls.
(18) EasyHome Mall (Da men Mall) - Google Maps
Red banner of celebrative and auspicious words welcoming the new year.
(19) The Summit Mall - Google Maps
A traditional Chinese home dining area setting for reunion dinner with lots of red and pink spring flowers and lanterns.
(20) Sogo Kuala Lumpur Mall - Google Maps
A big red flower display with red lanterns and a giant gold ingot.
(21) Fahrenheit 88 Mall - Google Maps
A large Chinese garden with lots of red flowers and lanterns and a unique horse made from a continuous long rope with red ribbons.
(22) Lot10 Mall - Google Maps
A flower display with lots of red flowers and a red horse galloping high.
(23) Sungai Wang Plaza Mall - Google Maps
Lots of red lanterns with red flowers and red fire crackers in the center court.
(24) IPC Mall Mutiara Damansara - Google Maps
A walkway through arches of a Chinese garden with lots of red lanterns, lights and flowers.
(25) Avenue-K Mall - Google Maps
A beautifully decorated dining hall for reunion dinner with red flowers, giant lantern above.
(26) IOI Puchong Mall - Google Maps
A beautiful center courtyard with a horse carousel with lanterns up high, colors of red and gold.
(27) Sunway Square Mall - Google Maps
A golden horse surrounded by red flowers propped up high above the ground, ushering a galloping new year.
(28) Chinatown Petaling Street - Google Maps
And finally the night street markets of the famous Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur decorated with red lantern lights filled with tourists.
During Chinese Lunar New Year, we also greet each other with 恭喜发财 (Mandarin: Gōngxǐ fācái /Cantonese: gung1hei2 faat3coi4) meaning May you be happy and prosperous.
To know a little more about Chinese Lunar New Year, feel free to watch this short video which was found on public YouTube. (Credit to the owner of the public YouTube video in the original link) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVPHdFX9iHY
Incidentally, there’s a reason why 28 malls are shared in this Chinese New Year post. Comment below if you can guess the reason. Hint: 28 sounds like a very auspicious phrase. Can you guess what that is?
See also the recap of our previous virtual Local Guides Chinese New Year meet-up here. [Recap] Virtual Chinese New Year Spring Festival Cultural Celebration 2021
Now that you have seen snapshots of our main largest 28 malls in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia (not an exhausive list of malls by any means), which one is your favorite?
You and your family and friends are most welcome and invited to come visit all of us here in Malaysia! Comment and share also of your own visit experience here.
Wishing everyone who celebrates Happy Chinese Lunar New Year Spring Festival 新年快乐,万事如意 (Mandarin: Xīnnián kuàilè, wànshì rúyì / Cantonese: san1nin4 faai3lok6 maan6si6 jyu4ji3) from all of us here in Malaysia.
This Lunar New Year celebration across so many malls looks really colorful and fun. Thanks for sharing all these festive moments from Kuala Lumpur. 
2026.
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