Photos Of Lunar New Year Celebrations Across Asia

R​evelers across Asia headed out for the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebrations on Sunday. For China, it was the biggest festive celebration since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as China began lifting its "zero-COVID" restrictions in December.

P​hotos show large gatherings at temples throughout Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Seoul, as well as in the streets of Beijing.

T​he Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in China, with each year being named after an animal or mystical creature of the Chinese zodiac. This year marks the Year of the Rabbit for most who celebrate, except for those in Vietnam, which has a few different zodiac figures, and considers 2023 the Year of the Cat. The holiday is a time for gatherings with family and friends, indulging in traditional food and drink and general merrymaking.

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Some people waited outside of Wong Tai Sin temple for up to seven hours on Saturday to place their first New Year's incense sticks in three years, due to COVID-restrictions, according to the South China Morning Post.

The Lunar New Year typically spurs the largest yearly human migration on Earth, according to National Geographic. Every year, billions of people travel to their ancestral homes to celebrate the holiday with family.

T​he celebrations will last for 16 days, during which people will watch fireworks, feast and exchange hongbao, or "red envelopes," which traditionally contain monetary gifts. Click through the slideshow above to see images of the fun across Asia

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