By KEN MORITSUGU, Related Press
BEIJING (AP) — Firecrackers popped, drummers and dancers paraded and incense was supplied Wednesday at temples round Asia and farther afield as thousands and thousands around the globe celebrated the Lunar New 12 months.
From Beijing to Hanoi and Moscow, the vacation — referred to as the Spring Pageant in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea — is a serious pageant celebrated by diaspora communities around the globe. Wednesday marks the beginning of the 12 months of the Snake, considered one of 12 animals within the Chinese language zodiac.
1 of 21
In Beijing, throngs of individuals in down jackets crammed a park on a cold day to ring within the new 12 months. Some rang bells and tossed cash into containers within the form of gold bars for good luck, whereas others ate conventional snacks from meals stalls and took pictures with an individual dressed up because the God of Wealth.
The Lunar New 12 months is a time to want for good luck and prosperity within the coming 12 months for oneself and others.
“The previous 12 months was a really busy one for me, as a result of I needed to care for each my child and my work,” mentioned Beijing resident Jiang Hecang. “Within the 12 months of the Snake, I want my child will develop healthily and my work can stay secure. Then I may be blissful sufficient.”
In Malaysia, the pop-pop-pop of firecrackers greeted the brand new 12 months outdoors Guan Di temple within the capital, Kuala Lumpur, adopted by lion dances to the rhythmic beat of drums and small cymbals.
Ethnic Chinese language holding incense sticks in entrance of them bowed a number of occasions contained in the temple earlier than sticking the incense into elaborate gold-colored pots, the smoke rising from the burning ideas.
Lots of of individuals lined up on the eve of the Lunar New 12 months on the Wong Tai Sin Taoist temple in Hong Kong in a bid to be among the many first to place incense sticks within the stands in entrance of the temple’s foremost corridor at 11 p.m.
“I want my household can be blessed. I hope my enterprise will run properly. I pray for my nation and want folks peace. I hope this coming 12 months is a greater 12 months,” mentioned Ming So, who visits the temple yearly for the late-night ritual.
Many Chinese language who work in greater cities return residence in the course of the eight-day nationwide vacation in what’s described because the world’s largest annual motion of humanity. The exodus turns Beijing, China’s capital, right into a little bit of a ghost city, with many retailers closed and usually crowded roads and subways emptied out.
Historically, Chinese language have a household dinner at residence on New 12 months’s Eve. On the Lunar New 12 months, many go to temples to hope and attend temple gala’s to look at performances and purchase snacks, toys and different trinkets.
“I convey my kids right here to expertise the environment, as a result of the New 12 months environment … is fading,” Beijing resident Wang Xinxin mentioned at a temple truthful at Ditan Park, the previous Temple of Earth within the Ming and Qing dynasties.
“Kids like mine don’t have a lot thought what New 12 months was like in Beijing earlier than, however right here we are able to nonetheless see some parts of it,” Wang mentioned.
The federal government has curtailed non-official celebrations, with main cities outlawing the noisy firecrackers that after reverberated round Beijing and left it enshrouded in smoke.
Many Chinese language make the most of the prolonged vacation to journey each within the nation and overseas. Ctrip, a web based reserving company that operates Journey.com, mentioned the most well-liked abroad locations this 12 months are Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the USA, South Korea, Macao and Vietnam.
In Moscow, Russians cheered, waved and took smartphone pictures of a colourful procession with drummers, costumed dancers and enormous dragon and snake figures held aloft that kicked off a 10-day Lunar New 12 months pageant on Tuesday night time.
The Chinese language and Russian governments have deepened ties since 2022, partly to push again in opposition to what they see as U.S. dominance of the world order.
Guests shouted “Blissful New 12 months” in Russian and expressed delight at with the ability to expertise Chinese language meals and tradition in Moscow, together with people performances and cubicles promoting snacks and art work.
Cuba’s small Chinese language group celebrated the Lunar New 12 months on Tuesday night time with a parade of glowing lanterns and dragons winding their method by way of the slender streets of Chinatown.
The island was as soon as residence to one of many largest and oldest Chinese language communities within the Americas. Now, a a lot smaller group celebrates main holidays with a Cuban twist, mixing rum and cigars with conventional Chinese language delicacies.
Related Press video journalists Wayne Zhang in Beijing, Alice Fung in Hong Kong and Syawalludin Zain in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this story.
Initially Printed: