People perform at a temple fair in Kaifeng, central China's Henan province, during the Spring Festival celebrations. [Photo/Xinhua]

"We wish to have a good start from the year of the lucky monkey," Ban said, referring to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, US Secretary of State John Kerry and a lot of other political leaders have sent New Year's greetings to the Chinese people worldwide as well.

Facebook hosted top Chinese chefs at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, inviting them to cook dishes at the company kitchen during their Chinese Cuisine Week, which is dedicated to recognizing the Chinese culture and celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, with his Chinese American wife and daughter, even posted a video with new year's greetings in Chinese. In the video, they mentioned a family reunion dinner they held to celebrate the New Year, and wished the audience health and prosperity in the Year of the Monkey.

As the world is facing daunting challenges including economic downturns, regional turmoils and refugee crises, the spirit of the festival is needed by the international community more than ever.

"Only with family members at home could I enjoy the festive atmosphere and delightful feeling of celebrating the new year," said Sally, a Syrian refugee, who only gave his last name. Sally said his dream was to go back to his home country as soon as possible to celebrate the new year with his family members.