Prayers, fireworks and fairs: Millions celebrate Lunar New Year across East Asia

France 24 · Feb 17, 2026 · Collected from RSS

Summary

Traditional prayers, fireworks and fairs marked the Lunar New Year on Tuesday – alongside 21st-century humanoid robots. The activities ushered in the Year of the Horse, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, succeeding the Year of the Snake. Crowds descended on popular temples to burn incense and pray for happiness and success in the coming year. The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China and some other East Asian nations and is celebrated outside the region, too.

Share this story

Read Original at France 24

South China Morning Postabout 5 hours ago

Thailand sees Lunar New Year travel boom as Chinese tourists back in droves

Resorts are near capacity in Pattaya, Bangkok restaurants are doing a roaring trade and the strict time slots to visit the Louis Vuitton pop-up “hotel” in the Thai capital are fully booked. As this year’s Lunar New Year holiday draws to a close, Thailand’s tourist businesses are totting up the receipts from what many hope will be an enduring rebound in Chinese visitors. More than 30,000 Chinese visitors have arrived each day since the start of January. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)...

South China Morning Postabout 22 hours ago

Calls for better supervision of Hong Kong’s campsites after areas inundated

Campers and hikers have urged Hong Kong authorities to step up public education, law enforcement and impose foot traffic limits at campsites after some areas were flooded with visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday. A visit by the South China Morning Post on Saturday to Ham Tin Wan, a beach in Sai Kung, found about 50 visitors and 30 tents. Empty plastic bottles, used tissue paper and chocolate wrappers were seen lying on the sand and in bushes and shrubs. Officers from the Agricultural,...

South China Morning Post1 day ago

600 Guangdong drivers enter Hong Kong as thousands apply for new scheme

About 600 motorists from Guangdong have driven their vehicles into Hong Kong urban areas during the Lunar New Year holiday under a new scheme that has so far attracted 3,000 applications, according to the transport minister. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Saturday that weekend quotas for such trips had almost been filled on average during the holiday period. She added that the government would first consolidate the foundation of the scheme before reviewing the current...

Euronews2 days ago

China celebrates Spring Festival with lion dances at Great Wall of China

China marked the Spring Festival with lion and dragon dances at the Badaling Great Wall on 19 February 2026. The shows formed part of New Year celebrations linked to the Year of the Fire Horse.

South China Morning Post2 days ago

Hongkongers make 1.4 million outbound trips over Lunar New Year break, up 20% from 2019

Hongkongers made more than 1.4 million outbound trips over the Lunar New Year holiday, up by about 20 per cent from 2019, while the number of arrivals over the same period remained lower than pre-pandemic levels. Immigration Department data released on Friday showed that from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the third day of the holiday, residents made 1.44 million trips out of the city – 20.4 per cent more than the 1.2 million recorded in the same period in 2019. By contrast, mainland Chinese visitors...

South China Morning Post3 days ago

Hong Kong banks reward staff with gifts, extra holiday and lai see as they return to work

Thousands of Hong Kong bank employees will receive a return-to-work lai see on Friday, with some banks handing out extra benefits and gifts to their staff amid improving economic and market sentiment. While it is a Chinese tradition for companies to give their staff lai see on the first working day of the Lunar New Year as a token of appreciation for their hard work, many banks nowadays give their staff lai see and other goodies before the holiday. Bank of China (Hong Kong) is giving each of its...

Prayers, fireworks and fairs: Millions celebrate Lunar New Year across East Asia

Related Articles

Thailand sees Lunar New Year travel boom as Chinese tourists back in droves

Calls for better supervision of Hong Kong’s campsites after areas inundated

600 Guangdong drivers enter Hong Kong as thousands apply for new scheme

China celebrates Spring Festival with lion dances at Great Wall of China

Hongkongers make 1.4 million outbound trips over Lunar New Year break, up 20% from 2019

Hong Kong banks reward staff with gifts, extra holiday and lai see as they return to work

Prayers, fireworks and fairs: Millions celebrate Lunar New Year across East Asia

Related Articles

Thailand sees Lunar New Year travel boom as Chinese tourists back in droves

Calls for better supervision of Hong Kong’s campsites after areas inundated

600 Guangdong drivers enter Hong Kong as thousands apply for new scheme

China celebrates Spring Festival with lion dances at Great Wall of China

Hongkongers make 1.4 million outbound trips over Lunar New Year break, up 20% from 2019

Hong Kong banks reward staff with gifts, extra holiday and lai see as they return to work

Related Articles

South China Morning Postabout 5 hours ago
Thailand sees Lunar New Year travel boom as Chinese tourists back in droves
Resorts are near capacity in Pattaya, Bangkok restaurants are doing a roaring trade and the strict time slots to visit the Louis Vuitton pop-up “hotel” in the Thai capital are fully booked. As this year’s Lunar New Year holiday draws to a close, Thailand’s tourist businesses are totting up the receipts from what many hope will be an enduring rebound in Chinese visitors. More than 30,000 Chinese visitors have arrived each day since the start of January. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)...

South China Morning Postabout 22 hours ago
Calls for better supervision of Hong Kong’s campsites after areas inundated
Campers and hikers have urged Hong Kong authorities to step up public education, law enforcement and impose foot traffic limits at campsites after some areas were flooded with visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday. A visit by the South China Morning Post on Saturday to Ham Tin Wan, a beach in Sai Kung, found about 50 visitors and 30 tents. Empty plastic bottles, used tissue paper and chocolate wrappers were seen lying on the sand and in bushes and shrubs. Officers from the Agricultural,...

South China Morning Post1 day ago
600 Guangdong drivers enter Hong Kong as thousands apply for new scheme
About 600 motorists from Guangdong have driven their vehicles into Hong Kong urban areas during the Lunar New Year holiday under a new scheme that has so far attracted 3,000 applications, according to the transport minister. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Saturday that weekend quotas for such trips had almost been filled on average during the holiday period. She added that the government would first consolidate the foundation of the scheme before reviewing the current...

Euronews2 days ago
China celebrates Spring Festival with lion dances at Great Wall of China
China marked the Spring Festival with lion and dragon dances at the Badaling Great Wall on 19 February 2026. The shows formed part of New Year celebrations linked to the Year of the Fire Horse.

South China Morning Post2 days ago
Hongkongers make 1.4 million outbound trips over Lunar New Year break, up 20% from 2019
Hongkongers made more than 1.4 million outbound trips over the Lunar New Year holiday, up by about 20 per cent from 2019, while the number of arrivals over the same period remained lower than pre-pandemic levels. Immigration Department data released on Friday showed that from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the third day of the holiday, residents made 1.44 million trips out of the city – 20.4 per cent more than the 1.2 million recorded in the same period in 2019. By contrast, mainland Chinese visitors...

South China Morning Post3 days ago
Hong Kong banks reward staff with gifts, extra holiday and lai see as they return to work
Thousands of Hong Kong bank employees will receive a return-to-work lai see on Friday, with some banks handing out extra benefits and gifts to their staff amid improving economic and market sentiment. While it is a Chinese tradition for companies to give their staff lai see on the first working day of the Lunar New Year as a token of appreciation for their hard work, many banks nowadays give their staff lai see and other goodies before the holiday. Bank of China (Hong Kong) is giving each of its...