21 Enchanting Photos Of Chinese New Year Celebrations

Happy Year of the Dragon! Also known as the Spring Festival, the annual holiday begins this year on January 23rd and celebrations will continue until the Lantern Festival fifteen days later.

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Feng Li / Getty Images

BEIJING, CHINA - JANUARY 22: A Chinese young performer dressed in dragon costumes prepares to perform at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year of Dragon in Beijing, China.

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Feng Li / Getty Images

BEIJING, CHINA - JANUARY 22: Chinese folk artists perform a stilt dance at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year of Dragon in Beijing, China.

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SINGAPORE - JANUARY 22: A large illuminated dragon is seen in Chinatown in Singapore.

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A Chinese puppet or Wayang Po Te Hi performance is seen at a mall in Jakarta on January 22, 2012 in celebration of the Lunar New Year.

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A reveller writes 2012 with fireworks in Beijing. China is preparing to say goodbye to the New Year of the Rabbit and welcome the New Year of the Dragon.

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Chinese-Indonesians perform dragon dances a day before Chinese Lunar new year in Kuta, on the Hindu majority island of Bali.

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SONNY TUMBELAKA / Getty Images

Chinese-Indonesians perform dragon dances a day before Chinese Lunar new year in Kuta, on the Hindu majority island of Bali.

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DAVID GRAY / Reuters

An actor wearing traditional costume takes part in an ancient Qing Dynasty ceremony in which emperors prayed for good harvest and fortune as part of the opening of the temple fair at Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth, in Beijing.

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Chris McGrath / Getty Images

SINGAPORE - JANUARY 22: People pose for photographs in front of a large ping dragon made of flowers at the Sentosa Flowers festival on Sentosa Island, Singapore. Each year Sentosa is transformed into a magical floral wonderland. Showcasing some of the rarest and most unique flowers of spring. To usher in the Chinese New Year, the show has several large dragon displays, along with other themed sections, such as DinoLand and Flower Fairies.

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Chris McGrath / Getty Images

SINGAPORE - JANUARY 22: Women joke around as they pose for photographs in front of a large dragon made of flowers at the Sentosa Flowers festival.

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SINGAPORE - JANUARY 21: People pass under a large lantern of the Martial God of Wealth, warrior Zhao Gong Ming during the public opening of the 2012 River Hongbao Festival in Singapore. The festival to celebrate the Chinese New year and welcome in the Year of the Dragon, will showcase more than 60 large scale lanterns, designed and handcrafted by Chengdu lantern masters and for the first time the displays will incorporate movement and sound.

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SINGAPORE - JANUARY 21: People view a lantern display during the public opening of the 2012 River Hongbao Festival.

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Chris McGrath / Getty Images

SINGAPORE - JANUARY 21: People walk past a large lantern of a dragon made of bowls, plates and spoons during the public opening of the 2012 River Hongbao Festival.

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BAY ISMOYO / Getty Images

A large decoration shaped as a dragon is displayed in a shopping mall in Jakarta. In 2003, the Lunar New Year was declared a national holiday and this year -- as the nation marks the 10th year of unrestricted celebrations -- nearly all of Jakarta's glitzy malls are festooned for the occasion.

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ROMEO RANOCO / Reuters

A professional diver wearing a mermaid costume watches her co-diver, who is holding a Water Dragon puppet, swim inside the Ocean Park aquarium in Manila as part of their show celebrating Chinese New Year.

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A Cantonese Opera performer acts on stage at the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre in Hong Kong. Cast members celebrated the Chinese New Year by performing a well known Cantonese Opera play called "Prime Minister of Six States".

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EDGAR SU / Reuters

Pedestrians cross the road near a dragon decoration installed for the upcoming Lunar New Year in Singapore.

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CHINA DAILY / Reuters

A dragon lantern is seen in front of beams of blue lights at the Gate of China area along the banks of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

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BOBBY YIP / Reuters

A shopper takes a photo at a shopping mall decorated for the upcoming Chinese New Year, with office tower Two IFC in the background in Hong Kong.

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CARLOS BARRIA / Reuters

Divers perform a dragon dance during an event to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year at the Shanghai aquarium.

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Feng Li / Getty Images

BEIJING, CHINA - JANUARY 22: Chinese folk artists prepare to perform the lion dance at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year of Dragon.