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BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- With the Chinese Spring Festival just around the corner, China and parts of the world are enthusiastically preparing themselves for the most important celebrations in the Chinese calendar: the Lunar New Year.
The Spring Festival is the most important event for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West.
Meanwhile, the festival is never a holiday only for the Chinese people. Which countries also join the big celebrations apart from China? Here are some examples.
INDONESIA
Chinese New Year, locally known as Imlek, was declared as a one-day public holiday in Indonesia in 2003.
SINGAPORE
Singapore declares a three-day holiday for the 2017 Chinese New Year. Tourists and locals can visit various places during the holidays, including the breath-taking Gardens by the Bay where Chinese New Year lights can be brighter through the towering Supertrees.
MALAYSIA
Chinese New Year is among the five most important celebrations in Malaysia. As a national holiday in the country, the customs and celebrations have a lot in common with those in China.
Chinese New Year is also celebrated in South Korea as Seollal, which usually lasts for three days. Seollal is truly a special occasion for Korean people as it is not only a time for paying respect to their ancestors, but also an opportunity to catch up with family members.
Chinese New Year is considered to be the most important festival for Filipinos of Chinese descent. In 2012, the festival was included in public holidays in the Philippines.
BRUNEI
Although Chinese population is small in this state, dragon dance, parades, and fireworks also define the celebration of the arrival of the Year of the Rooster.
