Chinese New Year Temple Coloring Page

Chinese New Year temples come alive with decorations during the Spring Festival, featuring intricate architectural details, hanging lanterns, and symbolic ornaments that make them visually captivating. The combination of traditional rooflines, decorative columns, and festive elements gives you plenty of interesting areas to work with, from tiny patterns to bold statement pieces.

What colors work best?

Red and gold are the traditional foundation for Chinese New Year temple scenes, representing luck and prosperity. Deep crimson works beautifully for lanterns and banners, while metallic gold or yellow-orange can highlight roof tiles and decorative trim. Consider pairing these with rich jade green for accent details, deep purple for secondary elements, and touches of bright pink or orange for flowers and smaller decorations. The wooden temple structure itself often looks stunning in warm browns or even lacquered black with gold detailing.

Did you know?

Temples during Chinese New Year are decorated with upside-down fu characters (meaning fortune) because the word for “upside-down” sounds like “arrive” in Chinese, symbolizing the arrival of good luck. The number of lanterns hung isn’t random—even numbers are preferred since they represent harmony and balance. Many temples also place kumquat trees at their entrances during the festival because the Chinese name sounds like “golden luck.”

How to color this one

Start with the largest areas first, like the temple walls and roof, to establish your color scheme. Colored pencils work particularly well for the fine architectural details and patterns, while markers can cover the bigger surfaces efficiently. For the lanterns, try layering a lighter red or orange base with darker red shadows to give them dimension. Gold gel pens or metallic markers can add special touches to roof edges and decorative elements after you’ve finished the base colors. Take your time with repetitive patterns on columns or railings—they create a meditative rhythm as you work.

Who’ll love this?

This page appeals to anyone interested in cultural celebrations or architectural details. It’s particularly engaging around January or February when Chinese New Year actually happens, making it a meaningful activity for families learning about the holiday together. The mix of large areas and intricate details means it works well for patient colorers who enjoy spending time on a single page over multiple sessions.