the lunar New Year

January 23rd is Chinese New Year's Day(the lunar New Year), Chun Jie(春節), this year.　New Year celebrations are also held in chinatowns in Japan. Japanese people also celebrated the New Year in the lunar calendar before the Meiji Era.

A festival called Shunsetsusai(春節祭) is being held from January 22nd to 29th at Nankinmachi(南京町) in Kobe.

photo by 神戸観光壁紙写真集

Yokohama China Town in 2006

The New Year celebration at Yokohama China Town is being held from January 23rd to February 6th.

It features parades, dragon and lion dances, Face-Changing(變臉, Bian Lian), firecrackers, Chinese acrobatics and Chinese lanterns.

February 6th is the 15th day of the 1st month in the lunar calendar.

photo by 無料写真素材提供サイト　～ぶらり東京探訪～









The Nagasaki Lantern Festival is being held from January 23rd to February 6th. The festival developed out of the Chinese New Year celebration in Nagasaki's Chinatown.


Nagasaki Lantern Festival in 2004





兎児爺(Tùryé)






Monkey King (Sun Wu Kong, 孫悟空, 斉天大聖)



Thunder God

dinosaurs

photo by 高画質壁紙写真集無料壁紙