高樓低廈,人潮起伏,
名爭利逐,千萬家悲歡離合。

閑雲偶過,新月初現,
燈耀海城,天地間留我孤獨。

舊史再提,故書重讀,
冷眼閑眺,關山未變寂寞!

念人老江湖,心碎家國,
百年瞬息,得失滄海一粟!

徐訏《新年偶感》

2012年1月22日星期日

Chinese New Year Celebrations – in pictures

Asian populations are starting 15 days of celebrations for the Chinese lunar new year on Monday, which ushers in the year of the dragon. Chinese tradition holds that those born in dragon years tend to be brave, innovative and highly driven, often making it to the top of their profession

A boy watches celebrations in Madrid, Spain
A performer prepares to take part in a traditional Qing dynasty ceremony in which emperors prayed for good fortune, at the Temple of Earth park in Beijing

Food vendors dressed in imperial costumes offer meat skewers at a park in Beijing
Street performers dressed as statues of old Beijing characters entertain shoppers in Beijing

A performer warms her ears with her hands as she takes part in the opening ceremony of a spring festival temple fair at Longtan Park in Beijing
A woman wearing a traditional costume welcomes visitors to an event in Singapore

An actor looks out from his costume before performing in Beijing
Young performers dressed in dragon costumes play before a performance at a park in Beijing

An actor takes part in a Qing dynasty ceremony at the Temple of Earth, in Beijing
A vendor wearing a dragon hat reaches for a toy birdcage at a park in Beijing

Chinese Filipinos light incense at the Seng Guan temple in Binondo, Manila
Actors perform at a park in Beijing

Filipino-Chinese wait for their turn to perform a dragon dance in Manila's Chinatown district
Indonesian-Chinese workers set up giant joss sticks at a temple in Jakarta
Performers in cartoonish dragon-shaped balloon costumes rehearse in Beijing