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Chinese celebrate Lunar New Year

Millions travel from cities to their home villages for colourful events celebrating the Year of the Snake.

CHINA-LUNAR-NEW YEAR-TRAVEL
Lunar New Year travellers wait for their train at the West Railway Station in Beijing on January 31, 2013. The world(***)s largest annual migration is underway in China with tens of millions across China boarding trains to journey home for Lunar New Year celebrations [Reuters]
Published On 9 Feb 20139 Feb 2013
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The Chinese Lunar New Year is considered the largest migration of people in the world, as millions of Chinese travel back to their home villages to celebrate with family and friends.

According to the state news agency, Xinhua, 3.41 billion trips are expected to be made during the festival from January 26 to March 6.

This year marks the Year of the Snake, and many Chinese believe the slippery creatures can cure medicial problems, such as impotency.

Celebrations are underway across the world’s most populous country.

China Lunar New Year
Chinese performers arrange each other(***)s costumes before a recreation of the Sacrifice to Heaven ritual on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing [EPA]
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China Lunar New Year
A Chinese soldier watches performers walk past as tourists are kept behind a fence [EPA]
China Lunar New Year
People watch a traditional Chinese performance outside a Daoist temple in Beijing, the capital [EPA]
China Lunar New Year
A soldier holds a fence as people try to take photos of actors reenacting an imperial ritual as part of the Spring festival activities at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing [EPA]
CHINA-TRANSPORT-LUNAR-NEW-YEAR
The Lunar New Year holiday is the most important annual celebration in China, when the nation largely shuts down as families gather together for reunions and feasts [Reuters]
China Lunar New Year
Chinese performers on stilts have a snack before the start of the show at a temple fair [EPA]
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China Lunar New Year
A Chinese performer lies half-covered in snakes during celebrations for the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival at a park fair in Beijing [EPA]


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