Worshippers burning incense during their annual pilgrimage to pray to the God of Fortune at the Guiyuan Temple in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Friday, the fifth day of Chinese New Year.

For some, their wishes for an auspicious year will be put to the test tomorrow as the stock markets in China reopen, with investors on edge after a near 7 per cent slump in China shares listed in Hong Kong last week and the global meltdown in financial markets.