Chinese ring in Year of the Monkey
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Chinese dressed as imperial guards perform a re-enactment of a Qing Dynasty sacrifice ceremony.
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China hopes the Year of the Monkey will bring prosperity after a tough 12 months.
Chinese New Year brings a massive shopping spree to Hong Kong.
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BEIJING, China -- People in China and parts of Asia cheered in the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Monkey, by packing temples, setting off fireworks and handing out cash and fruit.
From Beijing to Taipei to Singapore, businesses and government offices closed, as Asians traveled to visit relatives or to go to the beach and other vacation spots to mark the start of the New Year Thursday.
In China alone, hundreds of millions of Chinese have been on the move in recent days -- with an increasing number traveling internationally -- or returning to their hometowns for what is also known as the Spring Festival.
In Beijing, fireworks gave the year a bright start Wednesday night. Roman candles cascaded over the Foreign Ministry building and the Workers Stadium despite a city ban on explosives that goes largely ignored -- and, by all appearances, unenforced.
"I hope I can find a good job and my family will have a life filled with happiness," was one Beijing resident's modest New Year's wish.
China's biggest city, Shanghai, uncorked an all-night fireworks barrage, with bottle rockets soaring into the sky and bundles of tiny firecrackers detonated in buckets placed in the street, their containers amplifying the sound.
During the day, drums and cymbals accompanied lion dances throughout the country, a colorful noisy tradition that features predominantly during the weeklong holiday on the mainland.
Starring on China's state run television was astronaut Yang Liwei -- China's first man in space -- who launched onto screens to wish everyone a happy New Year.
Hong Kong quiet
Hong Kong's streets were quiet Thursday, with normally packed shopping centers, eateries and entertainment areas virtually devoid of life.
Many Chinese in the territory spend New Years day with the family sharing meals and taking a break from their normally hectic lifestyle.
The traditional gifts of red "lai see" packets, which contain cash and fruit, were handed out among families, friends, and associates.
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa conveyed his greetings to the territory's citizens on television, radio and the Internet, saying good times are back after economic faltering and last year's SARS epidemic.
Outside of China, there were celebrations in Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Festivities were also set to take place in the Chinatowns and Chinese communities across Europe and North America.
Crafty, intelligent
Fireworks light up the Shanghai skyline.
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According to the 12-year Chinese zodiac, Thursday marked the start of the Year of the Monkey.
The monkey -- one of the most beloved animals in Chinese astrology -- is considered the most intelligent, crafty, charming and entertaining. It's also a bit accident-prone.
Still, many are hoping it will bring in better times.
"The Year of the Monkey is supposed to be very fruitful. It's supposed to make everyone energetic," one retired Beijing resident told CNN.
Prosperity
Many Chinese are hoping the Year of the Monkey will bring more prosperity for China and good fortune than the Year of the Ram.
Feng shui experts -- popular at this time of year -- foresee good news for China in 2004.
"In this twenty year cycle we will see constant growth in all aspects of China, " says feng shui expert Tom Lau.
Tom says China's new generation of leaders, just one year in their jobs, will focus on the nitty-gritty problems at home and overseas.
"They will start to talk to different parties which they might have had conflicts before. They will sit down and work out their differences," he said.
But the year, he adds, will not always be smooth sailing.
"There will always be bumps and here and there, but overall, China is on the right track."
The outgoing year was a tough one. China was hit by a series of calamities, like the SARS epidemic.
SARS alert
With so many people traveling, China said Thursday it had ratcheted its anti-SARS surveillance and monitoring systems "into full gear" during the New Year.
Authorities are isolating trains, planes and buses entering Beijing from the southern province of Guangdong, where this season's three SARS cases have been reported, and checking passengers as they disembark.
Increased temperature examinations nationwide are also planned.
Financially, the Chinese government hopes the Year of the Monkey will be a prosperous one.
Figures announced this week say China's economy grew at a rate of 9.1 percent during the past year, its best performance since 1996.
Copyright 2004 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
