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HomeWorldAsiaYear of Snake underway as millions celebrate Lunar New Year

Year of Snake underway as millions celebrate Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year, known as the Spring Festival in China, is celebrated in Asia and beyond, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake.

In China, crowds of people rang bells and threw coins into containers shaped like gold bars for good luck. Others ate traditional snacks and took pictures. In Malaysia, the New Year was welcomed with fireworks near the Guan Di temple in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

People pray on the first day of the Lunar New Year at Quan Su pagoda in Hanoi, Vietnam. Source: apnews.com

Traditionally, Chinese people hold a family dinner at home on New Year’s Eve. On Lunar New Year, many visit temples to pray and attend fairs to enjoy performances, buy snacks and themed merchandise.

Many Chinese take advantage of extended holidays to travel both at home and abroad. The most popular overseas destinations this year were Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia and the United States.

Taoist priests at the Wong Tai Sin Temple to welcome the Lunar New Year of the Snake in Hong Kong. Source: apnews.com
Ethnic Chinese Thais pray at Leng Nuei Yee Temple to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Bangkok, Thailand. Source: apnews.com

This time the Chinese government curtailed unofficial celebrations by outlawing noisy firecrackers.

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