The Spring Festival, or Chunjie, as the Chinese New Year is called according to the lunar calendar, marked the arrival of the Year of the Green Wooden Snake, which replaced the Year of the Dragon. Millions of Chinese went on a traditional holiday journey to celebrate this event with their families, writes MIR 24 with reference to China Daily.

The celebrations spanned the entire country – from megacities to small villages. The iconic skyscrapers of major cities were painted in the traditional red color. The festive illumination looks especially impressive in Shanghai, where the famous “Oriental Pearl” and the Shanghai Tower will shine until February 4. Chinese New Year is celebrated not only in China itself – festive illumination can be seen in the largest cities of the world: from New York to Dubai, from Tokyo to Barcelona. In the Japanese capital, the holiday was celebrated especially creatively, with balloons with images of pandas and anime characters launched into the sky.

Large-scale cultural events are taking place across China, including drone shows, fireworks displays and festive performances. Of particular note is the Magic China Lantern Festival in Hebei Province, which runs until early March. The 600-year-old Zhangying Village in Hunan Province has staged a rich cultural program, including traditional opera, dragon and lion dances and puppet shows.