Lunar New Year in China

cctv.com 01-28-2006 14:16

With China's fast development, many of its traditional cultures have changed, or even vanished. But in recent years, some are making a come back. During this Spring Festival, celebrations are returning to their roots.

Firecrackers have always been a part of the Chinese Lunar New Year. But over the past decade, due to a ban imposed by lawmakers, firecrackers could only be seen and heard in rural or remote areas from cities.

Liang Zuwang, Customs Expert, said, "Traditionally, we have a lot to do to celebrate the Spring Festival. But one of the most important things is to set off firecrackers. But in recent years, we couldn't hear or see firecrackers in the cities. We could not feel the day. It is not a real Spring Festival celebration."

Liang will be happy this year. Along with more than 200 other Chinese cities, Beijing has lifted the ban on firecrackers during this Spring Festival. The move is in response to people's love for tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Beijing Citizen, said, "Of course we welcome the lifting of the ban. This is an indispensable element of the Spring Festival. It will not a Spring festival without firecrackers."

For more and more people, another important way to celebrate Spring Festival is to visit time-honored temple fairs, where they can take in the flavor of local customs and traditions. This helps remind many Chinese people what a real Chinese New Year is.

The traditional Spring Festival celebration is much more than that. There used to be a time that the Chinese people wanted to reject these 'old-fashion', or 'out-dated' celebrations. But now they are coming back. It is not just a restoration of traditions. it is also a restoration of Chinese people's proud, and confidence.

Editor:Chen Zhuo  Source:CCTV.com