BEIJING: Chinese are lighting incense sticks and praying at temples to wish for an auspicious start to the Lunar New Year Thousands visited Beijing's major temples on Saturday, the first day of the Year of the Rooster. Wearing heavy winter coats, they lit incense sticks and bowed as they prayed for good fortune and health. In Rio de Janeiro , crowds watched a dragon dance and a performance of tai chi in front of a picture of Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer statue. New York brought in the holiday with fireworks Thursday night over the Hudson River . And in Pyongyang , North Korea, a large crowd laid flowers in front of bronze statues of founding leader Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il.

Source: Times of India January 28, 2017 11:26 UTC