400 countries join in on annual Far East celebrations

BEIJING: As the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, fell on Friday this year, celebration of the most important holiday in China is taking place in countries worldwide.

According to the latest release of China’s State Council Information Office, the Chinese New Year was celebrated in more than 400 cities in 130 countries and regions this year.

In New York, spectacular fireworks lit the night sky over the Hudson River. In mostly red and gold, the two major auspicious traditional Chinese colours, the fireworks display created images representing Chinese cultural elements, like the dog, one of the 12 traditional zodiac signs, and the Chinese knot.

Before the display, Zhang Qiyue, the Chinese consul general in New York, hosted a gala for 300 local celebrities and officials. Designed by China’s Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), the display was “fantastic”, said Scott C Cooper, director of business development at Fireworks by Grucci, told Xinhua. New York State added the Spring Festival to its list of public holidays in 2014.

The festive atmosphere was in full bloom this week in the ancient Ukrainian city of Lviv, which has hosted the Lunar New Year for the seventh year. The gothic and baroque buildings and alleyways were decorated with red lanterns and colourful paintings with Chinese characters. – Xinhua/ African News Agency (ANA)

PICTURE: REUTERS/AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA) Performers dressed in traditional costumes dance for spectators as part of celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year and marking the Year of the Dog in Sydney, Australia, yesterday.