Issue: 1118 Date: 1/26/2012
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Be lucky: Millions of Chinese around the world welcome in the traditionally prosperous Year Of The Dragon
Chinese new year: Actors perform the dragon dance on the eve of the Year Of The Dragon at a Beijing park.
Millions of ethnic Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese across Asia are ringing in the new year with fireworks, feasting and family reunions. From Beijing to Bangkok and Seoul to Singapore, people hoping for good luck in the Year Of The Dragon that begins today are visiting temples and lighting incense, setting off firecrackers and watching street performances.
For many, the Lunar New Year is the biggest family reunion of the calendar for which people endure hours of cramped travel on trains and buses to get home.
Tradition: Actors dressed in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) costumes take part in the heaven-worshipping ceremony, in which people pray for good harvest and fortune, on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
