Illuminating a new year

Lunar New Year festivities last 15 days, culminating in a party known as the Lantern Festival. Here in Chengdu, the capital of south-west China’s Sichuan province, it's said that the Lantern Festival has been celebrated since the year 711, although its origins are believed to date back more than 2,000 years. This year's festivities will take place on 15 February, with homes and businesses across the city draped in lanterns of all shapes and sizes, often in the traditional red silk with gold trim you see here.
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