Chinese New Year revelers continue to celebrate the New Year with copious amounts of fireworks which continue to light up the (surprising) clear skies over Beijing. Since arriving in China's capital on Wednesday, I have heard and seen fireworks going off for most of the day and night.
In addition to launching fireworks, many Chinese are attending temple fairs, which are held at temples in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan during the first week of Chinese New Year.
At Dongyue Temple in Beijing, hundreds of people gathered Friday to eat snacks like yangrou chuar (spicy grilled lamb on skewers), nian gao (a light yellow, spongy New Year's cake made from rice), and tanghulu (candied strawberries, tomatoes, and other fruits on skewers), buy New Year's decorations and trinkets, and watch lion and dragon dances. Some worshippers also paid their respects to their ancestors at the temple.
No matter what you are doing to celebrate Chinese New Year, I hope your Year of the Dragon is off to a great start.
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A video of a Mainland Chinese girl being scolded by locals for eating noodles on a Hong Kong subway train last week has gone viral, bringing attention to mounting cultural tensions between Mainlanders and Hong Kongers.
The incident highlights what some say is a growing culture clash between Mainland Chinese and residents of Hong Kong, a former British colony that was returned to China in 1997. Comments by a controversial Peking University professor have only intensified the tensions, according to the Taipei Times.
Read More...The Year of the Dragon is officially here. Revelers in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan ushered in the Chinese New Year with dumplings, fireworks, and rounds of mahjong. Chinese New Year Eve kicks off 14 days of revelry, which concludes with the Lantern Festival February 5. Learn how to wish your friends a 'Happy New Year' in Chinese.
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With four days left until Chinese New Year, it's time to clean up your home and office. Thursday is the day to thoroughly clean every nook and cranny. Be sure to finish your cleaning with a good sweeping because sweeping and cleaning are among the activities to be avoided during Chinese New Year. Be sure to sweep toward the front door to ensure more luck in the New Year.
Once everything is clean, it's time to decorate with Chūnlián (春聯), spring couplets with auspicious words, and other decorations like mini firecrackers and gold ingots.
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