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Summary Celebrations rang out in Beijing and Tokyo to mark the start of the new year.
According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, the year of the dragon begins on Monday (January 23).Fireworks exploded into the sky in Beijing and they will be permitted until February 6 in the capital.Traditionally, fireworks are believed to have been first set off to scare off a man-eating monster, and they have now become an indispensable feature of the nationwide celebrations.The Lunar New Year is an important event for many in China, as it is the only holiday in the year that they get to spend with their family and relatives.Meanwhile in Tokyo, well-wishers rang in the Chinese new year at midnight on Sunday (January 22) with firecrackers and prayers in Yokohama, Japans Kantei-Byo Temple.Despite Monday being a regular working day for employees in Japan, several hundred people came out to enjoy the festivities in the surprisingly temperate weather.
