During Spring Festival celebrations, the London Eye was illuminated in red and gold, traditional colors for Chinese New Year, accompanied by artistic performances including dragon dances
People across China celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year
From the BBQ craze in the old industrial city of Zibo in Shandong to the village soccer league frenzy in the obscure county Rongjiang in Guizhou to the ice and snow mania turning Harbin in Heilongjiang into the hottest winter destination — 2023 witnessed an explosive revival of China’s cultural tourism industry, spawning a host of phenomena online and offline.
Dragons are not only mythical but also mystical in Chinese culture. They convey strength, wisdom and good fortune. In ancient times, the dragon was regarded as a divine being capable of controlling the weather and bringing rain.
The Chinese call themselves "the descendants of the dragon" for a reason. Emperor Yandi, a legendary tribal leader in predynastic China, was said to have been born out of his mother's telepathic interaction with a mighty dragon.
Li Cheung, 52, the head chef at Xin Ming Yuen restaurant in Beijing, cannot forget how his family used to mark Chinese New Year's Eve. For his mother, this used to be the busiest day of the year, and largely spent in the kitchen. Preparations started much earlier; she would start planning for the lavish spread on the 26th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar.
The sage Confucius once sought the counsel of another wise man, Laozi (Lao Tzu), the founder of Taoism, 20 years his senior. "Beyond appearances and behavior that are less than sharp, there often lies a noble soul," Laozi told Confucius, who was probably in his 20s or 30s when this encounter happened, in the first half of the sixth century BC.
While people from southern provinces are attracted to the snowy winter scenery in North China, people from the north are swarming to southern destinations for the Spring Festival holiday to enjoy the warmth and sunny beaches.
The fairytale-like scenery of Harbin, with its exquisite ice sculptures and snow-covered Western-style architecture, has been attracting tourists all winter, but the boom is expected to peak during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday beginning on Saturday.
The 2024 CCTV Spring Festival Gala has concluded its fifth and final rehearsal on Wednesday. The much-anticipated annual gala is now ready to present a visual and auditory feast for audiences nationwide on Friday.
From Jan 31 to Feb 1, the "Joyful Dragon for a Happy Chinese New Year" events, as part of the "Happy Chinese New Year" cultural program, took place in San Francisco.
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Copyright © Ministry of Culture and Tourism, P.R.China. All rights reserved
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