World ushers in Lunar New Year with celebrations

Celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year are underway across the world as people from various cultures come together to usher in the Year of the Tiger, which starts on Tuesday.

The Chinese New Year is based on a 12-year Zodiac cycle of animals. In Europe, British people welcomed the Chinese Lunar New Year with a day of celebration at the National Maritime Museum in London on Saturday.

Lion dance, tai chi demonstrations, printing workshops, fanmaking, and other fantastic performances and activities designed for all ages attracted many local families to visit and enjoy the festive mood of the Spring Festival. A Chinese New Year photo exhibition was opened in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Friday featuring 65 photos, which show how Chinese people celebrate the traditional holiday.

As Australia's largest city Sydney prepares to celebrate the festival, the streets and laneways of Chinatown are being transformed into an immersive artwork for the Year of the Tiger.

Chinatown is buzzing with cultural performances, market stalls, DJs, food trucks, and lion dancers on Saturday.

In the United States, from lion dances to kung fu demonstrations, folk music performances, lantern exhibitions, street fairs and screening of Chinese movies, organizers across the country are going all out to spread joy and provide people with unique cultural experiences of this festival.

"The Chinese New Year is one of the most significant holidays on the calendar, and so we think it is important that The Huntington celebrate the holiday, bringing people together to learn and enjoy," Sian Adams, strategic initiatives director of The Huntington, told China Daily.

The California-based institution is treating visitors to a series of programs on Feb 5 and 6, including performances of scenes from The Peony Pavilion, a mask-changing show, lion dances, traditional arts, music and martial arts. The Huntington has been celebrating the Chinese New Year since the early 2000s.

"People have been so excited to be immersed in learning and experiencing the Chinese culture through performances, exhibits, and demonstrations. Everyone is appreciative, and the expressions of happiness on the faces of young and old alike, in celebrating the Chinese New Year, say it all," said Pamela Garrison, The Huntington's manager for membership events.

After a hiatus last year due to COVID-19, many museums, cultural institutions and shopping centers in New York City are bringing back in-person celebrations to ring in the Chinese New Year.

The New York Chinese Cultural Center is one of them.

"For Lunar New Year, we go out to local communities to celebrate this festive holiday. We share Chinese performing and visual arts to support Asian communities and help build cross-cultural understanding across communities," said Yen Ying, its executive director.

In collaboration with organizations such as the US Postal Service, artists from the center will put together ribbon dances and calligraphy demonstrations throughout January and February.

San Francisco's Golden State Warriors ushered in the Year of the Tiger when it faced the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Fans were entertained with martial arts and tai chi demonstrations. San Francisco native and former Miss Chinatown Desiree Choy also sang the national anthem.

Chinese New Year celebrations are also happening in cities such as Washington, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston and Las Vegas.

Xinhua contributed to this story.