Holidays Lunar New Year Photo Essay Photography Top

Taiwan celebrates the Year of the Snake

These red paper decorations, painted by the photographer and her family, are called 春聯 (pronounced chun lian) and bring good luck to the house. Since it is the year of the Snake in traditional zodiac, most of them feature snake designs. (Yuhan Tsai/YJI)

It’s the season of Lunar New Year and in Taiwan, people have been celebrating. YJI Reporter Yuhan Tsai made this photo essay with some explanations about how people in her community observe the holiday.

On the night before the new year, called 除夕 (pronounced chu si), families gather to honor their ancestors with food and incense. (Yuhan Tsai/YJI)

On 初 一 (pronounced chu ee), the day of the new year, people go to temples to pray for different types of good fortune throughout the year.  (Yuhan Tsai/YJI)

Above left: An infographic of the order of worship at 鹿港天后宮 (A Ma-zu temple located in Lugang, Chang-hua County). (Yuhan Tsai/YJI)

Above right: Another tradition of 初一 is 走春 (pronounced tsou chun), which translates literally to “walking spring”. People go shopping at old streets that sell Lunar New Year decorations and traditional foods, walking around the neighborhood to experience the “first spring.” (Yuhan Tsai/YJI)

Burning incense and offering food are the most common ways of worship at traditional Taiwanese temples. (Yuhan Tsai/YJI)

Yuhan Tsai is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.

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