Chinese New Year: China, Thailand, Singapore Celebrate Year Of The Rabbit (PHOTOS)

From Beijing to Bangkok, Asian cities rang in Chinese New Year on Thursday with traditional performances, spectacular parades and dazzling firework displays.

In Singapore, lion and dragon dancers took to the streets, while elaborate floats lit up Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on Thursday night. These are just the start of the festive extravaganzas -- although Feb. 3 marks the start of the "Year of the Rabbit," the holiday is the Chinese calendar's most important, and celebrations will continue for another 15 days.

As the Los Angeles Times is reporting, the Year of the Rabbit is associated with tranquility, and individuals born under the sign -- including celebrities like Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet and Drew Barrymore -- are said to be strong-willed, wise and financially lucky.

See photos of Chinese New Year celebrations here:

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A woman views a display featuring mythical Beijing folk icon "Lord Rabbit" figurines.

A woman views a display featuring mythical Beijing folk icon "Lord Rabbit" figurines.

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Comments

[Erewhon7]

11:50 AM on 02/09/2011

Gong Xi Fa Cai to our Mandarin friends.
and
Gong Hey Fa Choy to our Cantonese friends.

May we all prosper and do well this year.

In some ways we're all waiting for that red envelope :-)

[Jeff Forsythe]

10:42 PM on 02/04/2011

Perhaps this New Year will begin a new China which will cease torturing and murdering innocent Falun Gong practitioners. The present brutal Communist regime offers its people no human rights whatsoever.

[mike72]

05:11 PM on 02/05/2011

No it won't. As long as there are BS people like you who just know how to yap yap yap about Human Rights this and that, but continues the support of the US Empire to suck bl**d from the world for your own enjoyment, China will continues its way and exposes your fakeness.

Happy New Year! :)

[chaya]

05:08 PM on 02/04/2011

Happy New Year all of you New Year celebrators!

[Kambriel2]

04:12 PM on 02/04/2011

These are beautiful photos!! Happy Year of the Bunny everybody!!!

[Flight19]

03:19 PM on 02/04/2011

I was at the Chinese New Year's Day Firecracker Celebration yesterday here in Chinatown NYC - and I'm looking forward to going to the Chinese New Year's Parade here on Sunday.

[HotheadPaisen]

04:57 PM on 02/04/2011

::jealous::
Man I miss NYC sometimes!

[emsique]

10:01 AM on 02/04/2011

I live on the southern China coast. Here are some of my shots:
emsique.blogspot.com
14 days of fireworks, eating, family, friends, parties. Give me strength!

[Kambriel2]

04:18 PM on 02/04/2011

I enjoyed looking at the photos! The gardens are beautiful! Oh, and the Spider Bunny just rocks!! Thank you for the link.

[jen q]

09:58 PM on 02/05/2011

Cool pictures!

[HawaiiShira]

04:07 PM on 02/03/2011

I'm feeling unusually blessed & lucky....in early December, a beautiful bunny showed up at our front door. I thought my husband was joking, but lo & behold there he was....amazing here in Hawaii. We coaxed him a bit and he hopped in my arms. My hubby made me ask neighbors if anyone lost a pet. His cage became a Christmas woodworking project of my husband's. We named him Koa because he has the colors of beautiful Koa wood. A few days after Christmas, the next door neighbor appeared with her grandson, he was requesting permission to pick our green papayas. She saw the cage & we shared our story of Koa. She told us that Koa was a miniature bunny, purchased for a neighbors children. When the bunny outgrew the tiny box, and the responsibility became too much, they released him to fend for himself. My neighbor told me she had set a trap for him, because while she had never had rabbit stew, Koa was destined for her pot if caught. Happily, Koa is litter-trained, allowed out of his cage, which has a ocean view, hops from couch to couch, finding a spot to look in a mirror, and then happily returns to his spacious cage. It turns out my husband is born in the year of the Rabbit. We have offered to let Koa go, he hops back in the house. Rabbits require a lot of care, but they are really smart. Be responsible.

[db08]

08:27 AM on 02/04/2011

Lovely story. Thank you for sharing.

[chaya]

05:16 PM on 02/04/2011

Fanned. Any bunny friend is a friend of mine. :)

[Ayang801]

12:38 PM on 02/03/2011

Lol, thanks to all the people who just said that. 谢谢!

[R Z]

12:05 PM on 02/03/2011

xin nian kuai-le!
新年快樂

[thrillsnswills]

11:56 AM on 02/03/2011

This site http://crassecards.com has great free, sarcastic Chinese New Year e-cards

"15 days of family and ancient tradition. And you thought the Jews had it rough with 8 crazy nights."

[SangZe]

11:42 AM on 02/03/2011

Xin Nian Hao!

[datenutloaf]

11:39 AM on 02/03/2011

Oh No!

Beck'll feel compelled to bring out his chain-saw again.....

[christopherflynn]

11:33 AM on 02/03/2011

to all our Asian brethren, may your New Year be filled with peace, prosperity, and love for your fellow human beings.....
chris

[whoknew---]

12:57 PM on 02/03/2011

very nice but I would like to add the global community as well.

Best Wishes!

[christopherflynn]

01:03 PM on 02/03/2011

I stand humbly corrected...Thank you for being all inclusive...you are a truly global-thinking progressive,and I fan you immediately for recognizing my narrowness in wishing my thoughts...Best wishes to you and yours (and EVERYBODY... ;-)) Thanks...
chris

[Zenith1959]

11:32 AM on 02/03/2011

Since the English version of the Chinese "Happy New Year", has two pen ding words, I'll just leave it at what I already said.