Chinese give Year of Snake raucous, colourful welcome
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Buy SPH photosBEIJING (REUTERS) - Chinese welcomed the arrival of the Year of the Snake with raucous celebrations on Saturday, setting off a cacophony of firecrackers in the streets and sending fireworks blazing into the sky to bring good fortune.
Celebrations will carry on into the early hours of Sunday, officially the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Residents of Beijing braved freezing temperatures to let off brightly coloured fireworks, with clouds of smoke in the air, red wrappings from firecrackers covering streets and explosions rattling windows.
A plea by the government to set off fewer fireworks to help deal with Beijing's notorious air pollution seemed to fall on deaf ears.
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Worshipers place incense sticks as they pray before midnight to welcome in Chinese Lunar New Year at the Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong on Feb 9, 2013. Chinese welcomed the arrival of the Year of the Snake with raucous celebrations on Saturday, setting off a cacophony of firecrackers in the streets and sending fireworks blazing into the sky to bring good fortune. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A store owner shows snake ornaments on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake, in China town in Manila, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Performers take part in a dragon dance in the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake in China town in Manila, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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An ethnic Chinese girl takes pictures of a snake statue ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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People decorate a temple with Thai baht banknotes ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Women buy clothes ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, on Feb 9, 2013. --PHOTO: REUTERS
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A worker changes the lights bulbs in lanterns ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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People pray for good fortune as they hold burning incense on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year at Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing, on Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A man watches as fireworks light up the skyline of Shanghai in celebration of Chinese New Year in Shanghai, on Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Ethnic Chinese peoples light candle to celebrate eve of Chinese Lunar New Year at Hea Tek Tunk Chinese Temple in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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A volunteer holds a batch of incense sticks during a ceremony at the Taoist Hsingtien temple in Taipei early on Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Residents watch after setting up fireworks as part of Chinese new year celebrations, in central Beijing early Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A woman burns a paper offering as people gather at a temple ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Women touch a the costume of a Chinese Lion for good luck, happiness and prosperity, worn by a performer celebrating the Chinese lunar near year, as they eat lunch at a Chinese restaurant in the Chinatown of Lima, Peru, on Saturday, Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Worshippers offer incense before the Lunar New Year in a temple in Makassar in the Indonesia's South Sulawesi province, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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This photo taken on Feb 9, 2013, shows a Chinese man letting off fireworks to welcome in the Year of the Snake during the Lunar New Year celebrations in the Chinese border town of Dandong. -- PHOTO: AFP
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This photo taken on Feb 9, 2013, shows a Chinese man letting off fireworks to welcome in the Year of the Snake during the Lunar New Year celebrations in the Chinese border town of Dandong. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Worshippers rush to place joss sticks at the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho temple in Singapore, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Worshipers place incense sticks as they pray before midnight to welcome in Chinese Lunar New Year at the Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong on Feb 9, 2013. Chinese welcomed the arrival of the Year of the Snake with raucous celebrations on Saturday, setting off a cacophony of firecrackers in the streets and sending fireworks blazing into the sky to bring good fortune. -- PHOTO: AFP
A store owner shows snake ornaments on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake, in China town in Manila, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Performers take part in a dragon dance in the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake in China town in Manila, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
An ethnic Chinese girl takes pictures of a snake statue ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
People decorate a temple with Thai baht banknotes ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Women buy clothes ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, on Feb 9, 2013. --PHOTO: REUTERS
A worker changes the lights bulbs in lanterns ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
People pray for good fortune as they hold burning incense on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year at Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing, on Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A man watches as fireworks light up the skyline of Shanghai in celebration of Chinese New Year in Shanghai, on Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Ethnic Chinese peoples light candle to celebrate eve of Chinese Lunar New Year at Hea Tek Tunk Chinese Temple in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
A volunteer holds a batch of incense sticks during a ceremony at the Taoist Hsingtien temple in Taipei early on Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: AFP
Residents watch after setting up fireworks as part of Chinese new year celebrations, in central Beijing early Feb 10, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A woman burns a paper offering as people gather at a temple ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Women touch a the costume of a Chinese Lion for good luck, happiness and prosperity, worn by a performer celebrating the Chinese lunar near year, as they eat lunch at a Chinese restaurant in the Chinatown of Lima, Peru, on Saturday, Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Worshippers offer incense before the Lunar New Year in a temple in Makassar in the Indonesia's South Sulawesi province, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
This photo taken on Feb 9, 2013, shows a Chinese man letting off fireworks to welcome in the Year of the Snake during the Lunar New Year celebrations in the Chinese border town of Dandong. -- PHOTO: AFP
This photo taken on Feb 9, 2013, shows a Chinese man letting off fireworks to welcome in the Year of the Snake during the Lunar New Year celebrations in the Chinese border town of Dandong. -- PHOTO: AFP
Worshippers rush to place joss sticks at the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho temple in Singapore, on Feb 9, 2013. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
