China, Japan celebrate Lunar New Year
01/22/2012 | Reuters
A reveller writes with fireworks in Beijing on January 22, 2012. GETTY IMAGES/AFP PHOTO/Liu Jin.
Celebrations rang out in Beijing and Tokyo on Sunday night to mark the start of the lunar new year.
In Beijing, fireworks exploded into the sky to celebrate the year of the dragon, which begins on Monday.
The dragon is believed to be a powerful, mythical creature that symbolises good luck in many Asian countries.
"I'm so happy to see in the New Year this way. It's so much fun to set off fireworks with friends and family. I feel so happy to see the explosions, and I don't have a care in the world," said local resident, Anna Du.
Traditionally, fireworks are believed to have been first set off to scare off a man-eating monster, and they have now become an indispensable feature of the nationwide celebrations.
The Lunar New Year is an important event for many in China, as it is the only holiday in the year that they get to spend with their families and relatives.
In China, the Lunar New Year is known as the "Spring Festival", since the spring season in the Chinese calendar starts on the first day of the new year.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, well-wishers rang in the Chinese new year at midnight on Sunday with firecrackers and prayers in Yokohama, Japan's Kantei-Byo Temple.
Despite Monday being a regular working day for employees in Japan, several hundred people came out to enjoy the festivities in the surprisingly temperate weather.
After well-wishes had counted down to the new year, a loud cacophony of firecrackers exploded into the air.
"Last year I didn't know about this, but this year I heard about the Chinese lunar new year celebration, and I
heard how much fun the firecrackers were, so I thought I'd come as a kind of tourist for the event," said local
resident Takatsugu Sannomiya.
The Kantei-Byo Temple hosted the event. Also known as Guan Gong Temple, Kantei-Byo is an important cultural and spiritual centre for the Chinese community living in Japan.
In Beijing, fireworks exploded into the sky to celebrate the year of the dragon, which begins on Monday.
The dragon is believed to be a powerful, mythical creature that symbolises good luck in many Asian countries.
"I'm so happy to see in the New Year this way. It's so much fun to set off fireworks with friends and family. I feel so happy to see the explosions, and I don't have a care in the world," said local resident, Anna Du.
Traditionally, fireworks are believed to have been first set off to scare off a man-eating monster, and they have now become an indispensable feature of the nationwide celebrations.
The Lunar New Year is an important event for many in China, as it is the only holiday in the year that they get to spend with their families and relatives.
In China, the Lunar New Year is known as the "Spring Festival", since the spring season in the Chinese calendar starts on the first day of the new year.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, well-wishers rang in the Chinese new year at midnight on Sunday with firecrackers and prayers in Yokohama, Japan's Kantei-Byo Temple.
Despite Monday being a regular working day for employees in Japan, several hundred people came out to enjoy the festivities in the surprisingly temperate weather.
After well-wishes had counted down to the new year, a loud cacophony of firecrackers exploded into the air.
"Last year I didn't know about this, but this year I heard about the Chinese lunar new year celebration, and I
heard how much fun the firecrackers were, so I thought I'd come as a kind of tourist for the event," said local
resident Takatsugu Sannomiya.
The Kantei-Byo Temple hosted the event. Also known as Guan Gong Temple, Kantei-Byo is an important cultural and spiritual centre for the Chinese community living in Japan.
Yokohama Kanteibyo 
Yokohama Kanteibyo 
Kobe Kanteibyo 
