| China is forever linked to its ancient civilization, friendly people, and many of the world's most revered treasures, such as The Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors & Horses and the Yangtze River. Today, one can also find spectacular architecture and towering skylines in Shanghai and Beijing (site of the 2008 Summer Olympics), a wealth of luxury accommodations and as always exquisite cuisine. Come and see why China is drawing millions of visitors from all over the world. And, why each and everyone of them returns home smiling.
Spring Festival
The celebration of Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar New Year, is over 2,000 years old. It became known as the Spring Festival when China adopted the Western calendar in 1911.
In preparation for the festival, people clean and decorate their houses, shop, cook, wash quilts and bed covers and generally tidy up their houses. House decorations vary in different provinces. In Guizhou, people put up "Spring Couplets" (long roll of red paper with black writing) and pictures of fierce looking "door Gods" on either side of their main door. The couplets usually contain two lines of poetry transcribed by a calligrapher on red paper and the door Gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei are believed to protect people from devils and evil spirits. This tradition dates back to ancient times. New Year pictures are hung on the inside of the house and are usually brightly coloured often depicting fish, animals, birds, flowers and other aspects of rural life. Most people will try to prepare special dishes for the festival.
Weeks before, the markets are thronged with people buying fish, chicken, meat, vegetables, sweets and many people will buy new chopsticks and bowls. The celabration begins on the 23rd of the last month of the lunar year when the kitchen god was once believed to visit heaven to give his annual report on the family. On New Year's eve, all family members from far and away gather together for the important reunion feast. Often they will watch television, eat, chat, and play Mahjong or card. At midnight, people set off firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and then will often play mahjong and other games until early morning. On New Year's day, people get up late and younger members of the family will wish older relatives "Happy New Year". Youngsters are usually given a small gift, often of money in the belief that this will keep them safe in the coming year. The final celebration of Spring Festival is Yuan Xiao Jie or Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the lunar month. On this day, lanterns are hung up outside and people eat yuanxiao (sweet dumplings) made from glutinous rice. In big cities people often take their lanterns to parks for a lantern exhibition. In the evening a banquet is prepared to mark the end of the festivities. Spring Festival is a time of renewal and an opportunity to unite the family.
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