Welcoming the New Year with fun activities
Sunrise on the Bund.
Sunrise at Qidong City's beach.
A New Year bazaar at the Longhua Temple square during the holiday.
From capturing the beautiful scenery of the first sunrise in photos, to walking tours along the Huanpgu River and Suzhou Creek, people in the Yangtze River Delta region celebrated the New Year in various, joyful ways.
Shutterbugs arrived at the Bund at 5:30am on Saturday, waiting for the break of the night curtain. The memorable moment was recorded at 6:52am when the sun rose from the Huangpu River, and people were busy pressing shutters.
"I walked on Nanjing Road E. as early as 5:15am, breathing the fresh air of the city," said Ella Zhou, a Shanghai resident.
At 5:30am, she and another 40 gathered on the bank of the Huangpu River in a tour group organized by Shanghai Spring Tour, waiting for the sunrise. The group number was limited for COVID-19 prevention requirements. The oldest member is in his 80s.
Shutterbugs wait on the Bund for sunrise.
People experience the charm of intangible culture heritage in Yuyuan Garden's scenic area.
A livestreaming event about Qidong's seafood.
A New Year culture bazaar at Longhua Temple square.
"When the sky was dyed red, we burst into cheers," said Zhou. "It was a beautiful and exciting moment."
In Qidong City, neighboring Jiangsu Province, recreational vehicle club members celebrated the New Year with fresh seafood and a romantic fireworks show.
A livestreaming event of Qidong's delicacies such as fish balls and tender perch fillets was held.
Located at the estuary of the Yangtze River, Qidong is one of the best places to appreciate sunrise.
On the beach of Qidong, people enjoyed a spectacular fireworks show with band performances.
At Longhua Temple square, a flash mob culture bazaar featuring various New Year gifts is being held through the three-day holiday.
Sunrise on the Bund.
Gifts at Longhua Temple square.
Picture perfect.
A special set of stamps featuring iconic buildings in the Hengfu (Hengshan Road and Fuxing Road) Historical Protection Zone such as the former residences of playwright Ke Ling (1909-2000) and Xia Yan (1900-1995) is available at the New Year post office set up in the temple square. The stamps are in limited edition.
Here, people can also choose a special postcard featuring tiger patterns, the Chinese zodiac of the year, and send their best wishes to family members and friends.
They can even make their own audio postcard in an e-version by recording their voice.
"As 'staycation' travel becomes the mainstream trend of the holiday, local tours are gaining popularity among city residents," said Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Spring Tour, which is hosting a variety of activities during the holiday.
Nearly 100 people celebrated the New Year with a walking tour along the Suzhou Creek and Huangpu River during the holiday.
A man throws rings at Longhua Temple square.
Sunrise on Qidong's beach.
A New Year culture bazaar at Longhua Temple square.
A postcard of the Year of Tiger.
People also visited Guangfulin Relics Park, and experienced the splendor of intangible cultural heritage via shadow play performances in Yuyuan Garden scenic area. Children experienced farming life in Fengxian District, and occupations such as book arrangement at local bookstores.
The Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism on Sunday released 10 ways to enjoy the city's winter splendor, which includes a stroll at Nanxiang Shuangta bazaar, learning intangible cultural heritage skills and tasting intangible cultural heritage delicacies at Dashijie, or Shanghai Great World, where an intangible cultural heritage carnival is underway.
The city has launched more high-quality cultural and tourism products inviting people to appreciate the city's architecture, take a stroll along city blocks and experience a leisure lifestyle in the city's countryside, the administration said.
