KEY POINTS
- Anxiety and loss persists in China after the recent spike in COVID-19 infections.
- In Chinese mythology, the rabbit stands for harmony and longevity.
- In China, the New Year started at midnight on Saturday.
But in China itself, anxiety and loss persist after the recent spike in COVID-19 infections while officials attempt to paint a brighter picture of the health situation.
Members of the Jin Wu Koon dance troupe perform an acrobatic dance during Lunar New Year Celebrations in Sydney on Saturday, 21 January 2023. Source: AAP / STEVEN SAPHORE
China says COVID-19 has infected 80 per cent of population
The mass movement of people during the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday period may spread the pandemic, boosting infections in some areas, but a second COVID-19 wave is unlikely in the near term, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on the Weibo social media platform.
Worshippers bring their children to burn their first joss sticks as they pray at the Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong on Saturday, 21 January 2023. Source: AAP / AP
Hundreds of millions of Chinese are travelling across the country for holiday reunions that had been suspended under recently eased COVID-19 curbs, raising fears of fresh outbreaks in rural areas less equipped to manage large outbreaks.
What is the Year of the Rabbit?
In China, the New Year started at midnight on Saturday.
First new year without COVID-19 restrictions
Most Chinese celebrate the start of the New Year over lavish dinners while watching the annual New Year’s Gala on state television.
People pray at the Chinese temple during the Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Source: AAP / Sipa USA
Authorities expect nearly two billion passenger trips during the total 40-day travel season, which is still about 70 per cent of the pre-pandemic travel volume.
Celebrations overshadowed by the pandemic
Local health care in these areas is only very rudimentary, and modern hospitals are often several hours away by car.
But while many stocked up Saturday on colourful blooms at the bustling flower market to welcome the new year and enjoy the Spring Festival, others had a more sombre reason: to mourn loved ones lost in the most recent wave of cases.
People select decorations in Wuhan City in central China’s Hubei Province for the festivities. Source: AAP / AP
“I have friends and family who passed away during this time,” a 54-year-old who would only give his surname, Zhang, said as he clutched a bunch of chrysanthemums, which symbolise grief in Chinese culture.
At the stroke of midnight, many residents did just that, as street vendors did a brisk business of selling chrysanthemums and other offerings into the early hours of Sunday.
Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (centre right) and other officials watch the lion dance performance in Yangon, Myanmar, on 21 January 2023. Source: AAP / EPA
At the same time, fireworks and sparklers popped and glittered in the darkness, despite a ban in place.
The Beijing government lifted its stringent zero-COVID-19 policy in December, but a surge in infections has since ripped through the country, killing thousands.
Deprived of New Year’s Eve festivities, its 11 million inhabitants were cut off from the world for 76 days while Wuhan became the epicentre of an epidemic that inexorably became global.
