Chinese world celebrates Lunar New Year

Chinese around the world are celebrating the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/politics/2003/02/01/42869.html ' target=_blank>Lunar New Year at midnight tonight amid unprecedented economic boom that has transformed the lives of millions of poor people in the most populous nation. According to the lunar calendar, 2005 is the Year of the Rooster while 2004 was the Year of the Monkey. Though the Beijing government as well as many other provincial governments have banned fireworks to welcome the New Year, occasional burst of crackers could be heard. The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and associates each year with one of 12 animals whose personalities dictate the characteristics of each 12-month period. The rooster is the tenth in the zodiac sequence that starts with the rat, followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and ending with the pig, reports New Kerala. President &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/11/15/39562.html ' target=_blank>Hu Jintao visited one of China's poorest regions, &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/11/27/40046_.html ' target=_blank>Guizhou, where he prepared traditional cakes. In Vietnam, traditional dishes made from chicken were off the menu as the country battles to contain a deadly outbreak of bird flu. In the Indonesian &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2001/07/04/9287.html ' target=_blank>province of Aceh, ethnic Chinese have held somewhat muted new year celebrations. Many gathered at temples to mourn the dead from last year's tsunami disaster. An estimated 600 Chinese-Indonesians died in the disaster. Businesses and government offices across Asia were closed on Wednesday to mark the beginning of year 4072 in the Chinese calendar, publishes BBC News. NR

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