INTERNATIONAL: This Tuesday, February 1 is the Lunar New Year, celebrated by nearly 2 billion people worldwide, with celebrations that can last for weeks. Also known as the Chinese New Year , and as the Spring Festival in China , this year the date marks the end of the Year of the Ox and the start of the Year of the Tiger.
And in China, people across the country are staging a variety of joyous activities in creating a festive atmosphere to ring in the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, or the Spring Festival.
In Pingyao County of north China's Shanxi Province, people are singing and dancing to welcome the upcoming Spring Festival.
In the South Street, also known as 'Ming-and-Qing-Dynasties Ancient Street', which is the central axis of Pingyao Ancient City dating back to almost one thousand years ago, colorful folk custom experience activities are drawing locals and tourists to get involved and experience the festive atmosphere.
Craftsmen are making cloth shoes with traditional handicraft, and calligraphers, both young and old, are surrounded by locals and visitors eager to receive their works.
About 100 young artists in Fuzhou city of southeast China's Fujian Province are interpreting the "Fu Hu" , Tiger of blessings and happiness culture in various forms.
Artists are making and showing Fuzhou bodiless lacquer wares and painters are presenting street art through drawing. The traditional folk custom activity of "twelve elder sisters sending peace" has contributed to creating a strong festive atmosphere.
In Zhengding County of Shijiazhuang City in north China's Hebei Province, local people have staged a dazzling dragon dance and beaten drums to usher in the upcoming Chinese New Year.
Dancers and performers walking on stilts have earned rounds of laughter from both locals and tourists. The "running bamboo horse" dance, a traditional folk performance, has also attracted many visitors. The horses are made entirely of bamboo. And the performance implies sending blessings to people.
As the Chinese lunar year of 2022 will be a Year of the Tiger, the various forms of tiger-style handicrafts are favored by people. Calligraphy enthusiasts are writing Chinese character "fu", meaning blessings and happiness, and folk artists are creating paper-cutting works for the holiday.
The cuisine in Zhengding has also become a new name card for tourism. As many of these delicacies have a history of more than 100 years, a lot of tourists are coming here to feel the authentic taste of Zhengding.
The Spring Festival is China's grandest traditional festival when people across the country return to their hometowns for Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations and family reunion.
The Tiger takes the third place on the Chinese zodiac circle of 12 animals. Under China's traditional social customs, the zodiac sign of the Tiger is a symbol of strength, exorcising evils, and braveness. Many Chinese kids wear hats or shoes with a tiger image for good luck.
