people across China The Lunar New Year began on Sunday with large family gatherings and crowds visiting temples, the biggest celebration since the pandemic began three years ago after the government lifted its strict “zero-Covid” policy.
Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China. Each year is named after one of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, with this year being the Year of the Rabbit. For the past three years, the festivities were muted in the shadow of the pandemic.
With the easing of most COVID-19 restrictions, many people can finally make their first trip back to their hometowns to reunite with their families without worrying about the hassle of quarantine, possible lockdowns and suspension of travel. The big public celebration known in China as the Spring Festival also returned, with the capital hosting thousands of cultural events – on a larger scale than a year ago.
Wu Junyu, chief epidemiologist at China’s Center for Disease Control, said the virus could spread in some areas due to the large movement of people. But a massive COVID-19 surge will be unlikely in the next two or three months as nearly 80% of the country’s 1.4 billion people have been infected during the most recent wave, he wrote on social media platforms Weibo on Saturday.
in BeijingMany worshipers offered morning prayers at the Lama Temple, but crowds appeared smaller than in the days before the pandemic. The Tibetan Buddhist site allows 60,000 visitors a day, citing security reasons, and requires advance reservations.
In Taorenting Park, there was no sign of the usual New Year’s bustle of food stalls despite being decorated with traditional Chinese lanterns. A popular temple fair in Badachu Park will return this week, but similar events have yet to return in Deitan Park and Longton Lake Park.
In Hong Kong, revelers flocked to Wong Tai Sin Temple, the city’s largest Taoist temple, to burn the first incense sticks of the year. The site’s popular rituals were suspended in the last two years due to the pandemic.
Traditionally, large crowds gather before 11 p.m. on Lunar New Year’s Eve, everyone trying to be the first or the first to light their incense sticks in front of the main hall of the temple. Worshipers believe that those who place their incense sticks first will have the best chance of getting their prayers answered.
Local resident Freddie Ho, who visited the temple on Saturday night, was happy that he could attend the event in person.
Ho said, “I hope to hold the first incense stick and pray that the new year brings world peace, Hong Kong’s economy prospers, and the epidemic goes away from us and we can all live a normal life.” Trust me, that’s what everyone wants.”
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Associated Press researcher Henry Hou and video journalists Emily Wang in Beijing and Alice Fung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
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