BEIJING (AP) — People across China celebrated the Lunar New Year Sunday with a giant circle of family gatherings and crowds visiting temples after the government lifted its strict “zero-COVID” policy, marking the largest holiday birthday party since the pandemic began 3 years ago. behind.
The Lunar New Year is the ultimate annual holiday in China. Each year is named after one of the 12 symptoms of the Chinese zodiac in a repetitive cycle, this year being the Year of the Rabbit. For the past 3 years, celebrations have been silenced in the shadow of the pandemic.
With maximum COVID-19 restrictions eased, many other people can, regardless, take their first vacation back to their hometown to reunite with their families without worrying about the hassle of quarantine, potential lockdowns, and suspension. Larger public celebrations have also returned for China’s so-called Spring Festival, with the capital hosting thousands of cultural occasions, on a larger scale than a year ago.
In Beijing, many worshipped in keeping with morning prayers presented at Lama Temple, but the crowd gave the impression of being smaller compared to the days before the pandemic. for prior reservation.
Crowds of citizens and tourists flooded the pedestrian streets of Qianmen district, near Tiananmen Square. Many of them enjoyed snacks from the New Year’s fried fish and rice cake stalls, and some young people wore classic Chinese rabbit hats. Others had puffed sugar or marshmallows in the form of rabbits.
Si Jia, a Beijing resident, said he felt life in Beijing had returned to normal overall, signaling the return of tourists. He said he brought his 7-year-old son to Qianmen to revel in Beijing’s festive atmosphere. and learn more about classical Chinese culture.
“He’s never experienced what a classic New Year looks like because he was too young 3 years ago and didn’t remember it,” she said. “But this year I can show it here. “
In Taoranting Park, there is no sign of the same bustling old New Year’s food stalls despite their alleys decorated with classic Chinese lanterns. A popular temple fair in Badachu Park that was suspended for 3 years will return this week, but similar occasions in Ditan Park and Longtan Lake Park have yet to return.
The large movement of other people can cause the virus to spread in some areas, said Wu Zunyou, a lead epidemiologist at China’s Center for Disease Control. 80 percent of the country’s 1. 4 billion people were affected by the recent wave, he wrote Saturday on the social media platform Weibo.
The center separately reported 12,660 COVID-19-related deaths between Jan. 13 and Jan. 19. On Saturday, he said those “COVID-related deaths” occurred in hospitals, meaning anyone who died at home would not be included in the count. Last week, China reported nearly 60,000 deaths of other people with COVID-19 since early December.
China has counted deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official number of COVID-19 deaths, a limited definition that excludes many deaths believed to be attributed to COVID-19 in much of the world.
In Hong Kong, revelers flocked to the city’s largest Taoist temple, Wong Tai Sin Temple, to burn the first incense sticks of the year. The site’s ritual was suspended for more than two years due to the pandemic.
Traditionally, giant crowds gather before 11 p. m. m. on Lunar New Year’s Eve, with everyone seeking to be the first, or among the first, to place their incense sticks on the outdoor stands of the temple’s main hall. The faithful who are among the first to place their incense sticks will have the most productive chance of having their prayers answered.
Local resident Freddie Ho, who visited the temple on Saturday night, was pleased to be able to register in person for the occasion.
“I hope to place the first stick of incense and pray that the New Year will bring peace to the world, Hong Kong’s economy will prosper and the pandemic will leave us and we can all live a life in general,” Ho said. “I think that’s what everyone wants. “
Meanwhile, the crowds praying for good fortune at the historic Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, were smaller than a year ago, even as the pandemic subsided. This was partly because many other people had ventured there to other parts of Taiwan or on long-awaited trips.
While communities in Asia celebrated the Year of the Rabbit, Vietnamese celebrated the Year of the Cat. There is no official answer to explain the difference. But one theory suggests that cats are popular because they help Vietnamese rice farmers hunt rats.
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Associated Press researcher Henry Hou, video journalist Emily Wang and video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing and video journalists Alice Fung in Hong Kong and Taijing Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
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