00:00At this traditional market in Taiwan, shoppers rush to stock up on the eve of the Lunar New Year holidays.
00:07The Year of the Horse starts on Tuesday, and across Asia and the world,
00:12people are preparing for their most important holiday of the year.
00:16In China, grand parades, performers, light shows, lanterns and banquets mark the occasion.
00:24In Malaysia, giant horse puppets fill the streets.
00:27And in Vietnam, where the holiday is called Thet, people flock to Hanoi's Old Quarter
00:33to buy red envelopes for gifting money and decorations featuring horses.
00:39Thet means a lot to me because I get to return to my hometown to visit my grandparents
00:43and make the traditional sticky rice cake.
00:46Thet is a time of reunion. I'm really looking forward to it.
00:51Spirits are particularly high because the Year of the Fire Horse is considered especially auspicious.
00:58In Chinese astrology, the horse symbolizes growth and momentum,
01:03while the fire element encourages energy and transformation.
01:07Also known as the Spring Festival, Lunar New Year is the world's biggest travel period.
01:13In China alone, hundreds of millions of people crisscross the country,
01:18with celebrations taking place on board trains.
01:22The New Year is the festival of the year, and if we don't go back home,
01:25we won't be able to enjoy the festival atmosphere.
01:27I want to go home to see my children, my grandchildren, and my husband.
01:32Even pandas are participating in the festivities.
01:35Dozens of baby pandas in Sichuan province sent New Year's greetings via video.
01:40And these twins are making their public debut at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park
01:45and preparing for a surge of holiday visitors.
Comments