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Celebrations in Asia heat up on eve of Lunar New Year
www.chinanews.cn 2006-01-29 14:33:28
(Source: Agencies)
Dragon sculpture was seen at a street in Thailand on Jan. 28, 2006. In
Thailand, where about 14 percent of the 64 million people are ethnic
Chinese, many ethnic Thais now enthusiastically joining in the
celebrations for Chinese Spring Festival, for which authorities were
closing the main street in Bangkok's Chinatown.
BEIJING, Jan 29 - Celebrations reached a peak on the eve of Lunar New
Year Saturday as families in China thronged to temple fairs and set off
firecrackers to ring in an auspicious Year of the Dog.
The Chinese diaspora in Asia and around the world was readying for the
biggest festival of the year, during which families reunite for lavish
feasts and believers burn offerings to honour gods and pay respect to
their ancestors.
In Beijing, fireworks -- which are traditionally believed to ward off
evil spirits and ghosts trying to enter the new year -- made a loud
return for the first time in 12 years as a ban was lifted from midnight
Friday.
Residents revelled in the return of a more colourful and noisy atmosphere
for the festival, and the loud bangs of firecrackers have been heard
non-stop throughout the city since late Friday.
The Chinese capital, home to 15 million people, has endured relatively
subdued Lunar New Year celebrations since a 1994 fireworks ban in nearly
200 cities, most of which have now reauthorised their use.
With safety still a major concern, Beijing authorities mobilised more
than 3,000 police officers to patrol downtown areas on Saturday night in
case of fires and accidents, the Beijing Morning Post reported.
The gradual return of traditional temple fairs has also delighted Beijing
families as they bring their children to watch lion dances, acrobatic and
other folk performances, and to patronise folk art and snack stalls.
Others burnt offerings at the temples -- once closed as symbols of feudal
superstition by the Communist regime -- to wish for a prosperous new year.
On the eve of Lunar New Year, Chinese families prepare a feast of
chicken, duck, pork and fish, along with sweets and fruit, and offer it
to their ancestors, deceased relatives and other spirits.
People also mark the holiday by giving oranges -- symbols of wealth --
and "lai see", or lucky money, in traditional red envelopes. Gold is also
a popular gift.
Dining out has also become fashionable across China's more prosperous
cities in recent years.
Last year, some 1.1 million Beijing residents splashed out on dinners on
new year's eve, bringing a total income of some 80 million yuan (10
million dollars) to the city's restaurants, Xinhua news agency said.
Chinese communities around the world were also marking the festival.
London was gearing up for the largest Chinese New Year celebrations
outside Asia, with organisers expecting more than 80,000 people to watch
an annual parade Sunday that culminates in Trafalgar Square.
In China's Taiwan region, the New Year unfolds in traditional Chinese
style with banquets, family reunions, games of Mahjong as well as
shopping and travel.
The climax is the colourful Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the Lunar
New Year period, with lantern exhibitions and fireworks across the island.
In South Korea, some 30 million people were expected to be on the road on
a traffic-snarled weekend to visit their home towns and sweep family
graves.
In Thailand, where about 14 percent of the 64 million people are ethnic
Chinese, many ethnic Thais now enthusiastically joining in the
celebrations, for which authorities were closing the main street in
Bangkok's Chinatown.
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