The Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival or Chinese New Year is a 3,500 year-old tradition celebrated in China and other countries in Asia and beginning with the first new moon of the lunar calendar — that fell this year on January 29. With festivities usually lasting two weeks — and with Asian diasporas widening every year — here are some of the best photographs of the ZUMA news photo agency after the first week, from China and Qatar to France and Brazil, and beyond!
Suqian, China
People light fireworks on the west side of Guxucheng to welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year in Suqian, Jiangsu province, China, on the evening of Jan 28, 2025.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Folk artists perform lion dance during early celebrations of the Spring Festival in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on Jan. 24, 2025.
Paris, France
Folk artists perform a lion dance at the Champs-Elysees to celebrate the Year of the Snake on February 2, 2025.
Doha, Qatar
The Chinese national flag is displayed as part of the celebration of the Chinese New Year at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha on January 2, 2025.
São Paulo, Brazil
Chinese New Year celebration in the Liberdade neighborhood, in downtown São Paulo on February 1, 2025.
Moscow, Russia
People perform a dragon dance during the opening of the 2nd Chinese New Year festival held as part of the years of culture of Russia and China (2024-2025) declared by the leaders of the two countries, in Manezhnaya Square.
Busan, South Korea
Drones are lit up to create an image of children bowing in a Lunar New Year’s Day greeting over an beach in the southeastern port city of Busan on January 26, 2025, the second day of a six-day break for Seollal, Lunar New Year’s Day.
Bangkok, Thailand
A dragon dance performed at a shopping mall in Bangkok’s Chinatown.
Mexico City, Mexico
Parade of lions and dragons toured the streets of Mexico City to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which inaugurates the year of the Wood Snake. The event was organized on February 1st by the National Museum of World Cultures, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Cultural Center of China in Mexico.
London, United Kingdom
Dragon dance performers jumps over pilars in London’s Trafalgar Square on February 2, 2025.
Madrid, Spain
A girl poses during a parade celebrating the New Year of the Wooden Snake. On February 2 and for the tenth consecutive year, Madrid has celebrated the Lunar New Year with a grand parade and activities in the Usera neighborhood, Madrid’s Chinatown.
Washington DC, U.S.A.
D.C.’s Chinatown celebrates the Year of the Snake with a parade in the street on February 2, 2025.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
A Chinese-Argentine couple dances the tango as the Chinese community in Buenos Aires celebrates the upcoming New Year on January 28, 2025. For the festivities, the city’s main monuments were illuminated in red.
Denpasar, Indonesia
Performers participate in a celebration of the Lunar New Year in Bali Province on Febuary 1, 2025.
Zaozhuang, China
Folk artists perform intangible cultural heritage items to celebrate the Spring Festival at Zhongxing National Mining Park in Zaozhuang, East China’s Shandong province, on January 28, 2025.
Prague, Czech Republic
Vietnamese people celebrated the arrival of their New Year in market SAPA on January 29, 2025.
Manila, Philippines
A fire-eater blows a large fire as spectators watch in Chinatown on January 29, 2025.
Melbourne, Australia
Tourists attend a celebration of the Chinese New Year on February 1, 2025.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
On the eve of Chinese New Year, the Thean Hou Temple, a six-tiered sanctuary dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu, was adorned with 10,000 red lanterns both inside and outside, attracting thousands of tourists. Additionally, the temple has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest display of red lanterns.
Gauteng province, South Africa
Lion dance performers interact with children during a Chinese New Year celebration event.
