Hundreds of millions in Asia celebrate Year of the Snake

As the Year of the Dragon comes to an end and the Year of the Snake begins, hundreds of millions of people in Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families on Wednesday.

For the 2025 Spring Festival, the Chinese celebrate with eight consecutive public holidays, a chance to eat together, see traditional performances, and light fireworks and firecrackers.

As millions of people came home to spend the holidays with their loved ones in an annual exodus that is predicted to set a new record, train stations and airports nationwide have been crowded for weeks.

And high streets, shopping malls, offices and homes are bedecked in festive red banners — believed to ward off evil — throughout many parts of East and Southeast Asia, including South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.

In Taiwan on Wednesday morning, people of all ages thronged temples across the island to make offerings of fruit, sweets, crackers and nuts, and mediate and pray.

“Our tradition is to visit the temple and pray, for better fortune for this year,” said Chen Ching-yuan, 36, as she visited Longshan Temple in Taipei with her mother.

“There’s no need to ask for anything specific, just wish for a smooth, peaceful, safe, and healthy year, and pray that everything goes well,” she told AFP.

According to Lin Yu-soon, 73, taking his family to Longshan Temple “gives us a sense of spiritual solace as we pray.”

In an attempt to bring good fortune, some temple-goers rushed to be the first to release incense as they rang in the new year.

“I didn’t want to look back with regret when I’m old, so I decided to go for it,” Kao Meng-shun said, after winning the event at Fusing Temple in Yunlin County, in the central-west of Taiwan.

“While I’m still young and have the energy, it’s the perfect time to take action and make the most of it.”

This article has been posted by a News Hour Correspondent. For queries, please contact through info@newshour.media
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