Jubilant Chinese greet New Year

Countdown in Beijing

Local residents gather at The Place Square to celebrate the upcoming New Year together in Beijing, China, on Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Gong Lei)

Local residents gather at The Place Square to celebrate the upcoming New Year together in Beijing, China, on Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Gong Lei)

Local residents gather at The Place Square to celebrate the upcoming New Year together in Beijing, China, on Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Gong Lei)

Illuminations in Shanghai

The neon lighting showing the 121-days countdown to the Shanghai 2010 World Expo appear on the grand commercial building at the Lujiazhui Finance and Trade Zone, in Pudong District of Shanghai, east China's metropolis, Dec. 31, 2009. A magnificent new-year eve neon illumination is shown on 18 grand edifices at Lujiazhui Zone to mark the countdown to the advent of the new year. (Xinhua/Zhu Lan)

The neon lighting showing the English word of London and its landmark architecture of Big Ben appear on the grand commercial building at the Lujiazhui Finance and Trade Zone, in Pudong new district of Shanghai, east China's metropolis, Dec. 31, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhu Lan)

Chinese and overseas audiences gather together happily to attend the 2010 Shanghai New Year Countdown Evening Gala, with the theme of Celebrate Universally and Dance on the Heaven and Earth, beside the artificial lake of the Taiping (Peace) Bridge, at the grand hall of Xintiandi in Shanghai, east China's metropolis, Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhu Liangcheng)

Ringing New Year's bell in Beijing

Local residents ring the bell at China Centennial Altar to celebrate the New Year in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 1, 2010. (Xinhua/Li Xiaoguo)

Honored guests light candles before ringing the bell at China Centennial Altar in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 31, 2009. A bell tolling activity was held here on Thursday to celebrate the New Year. (Xinhua/Li Xiaoguo)

In Nanjing

Local residents ring the bell at Pilu Temple in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec. 31, 2009, to celebrate the New Year. (Xinhua/Sun Can)

Ringing New Year's bell at Hanshan Temple, East China

Rabbi Qiushuang, the abbot of Hanshan Temple, strikes the bell for 108 tolls uring the 31st Suzhou New Year Eve Bell Ringing & Felicity Worshipping Activity at Hanshan Temple, a major pilgrimage and tourism event with some 80,000 local citizens and visitors from both home and overseas taking part in, in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Wang Jianzhong)

People swarm onto courtyard of Hanshan Temple to partake in the 31st Suzhou New Year Eve Bell Ringing & Felicity Worshipping Activity at Hanshan Temple, a major pilgrimage and tourism event with some 80,000 local citizens and visitors from both home and overseas taking part in, in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 1, 2010. (Xinhua/Wang Jianzhong)

Brightening fireworks flare and scintillate over the Hanshan Temple, during the 31st Suzhou New Year Eve Bell Ringing & Felicity Worshipping Activity at Hanshan Temple, a major pilgrimage and tourism event with some 80,000 local citizens and visitors from both home and overseas taking part in, in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 1, 2010. (Xinhua/Wang Jianzhong)

Fireworks in Hong Kong

Fireworks explode in the sky near the International Finance Center in Hong Kong, south China, Jan. 1, 2010, to celebrate the New Year. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaoyong)

Fireworks explode in the sky near the International Finance Center in Hong Kong, south China, Jan. 1, 2010, to celebrate the New Year. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaoyong)

Fireworks of Taipei 101 Skyscraper

Brightening fireworks flare and scintillate over the Taipei 101 Skyscraper, during the annual new year-greeting firework show, in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Jan. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Wu Ching-teng)

Brightening fireworks flare and scintillate over the Taipei 101 Skyscraper, during the annual new year-greeting firework show, in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Jan. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Wu Ching-teng)

Carnival in Hong Kong

People celebrate the arrival of 2010 during a countdown party at Times Square in Hong Kong, south China, on Jan. 1, 2010. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)

People celebrate the arrival of 2010 during a countdown party at Times Square in Hong Kong, south China, on Jan. 1, 2010. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)

People celebrate the arrival of 2010 in Hong Kong, south China, on Jan. 1, 2010. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

Fireworks in Qingdao

Fireworks explode in the sky above the Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Dec. 31, 2009, to celebrate the upcoming New Year. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Fireworks explode in the sky above the Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Dec. 31, 2009, to celebrate the upcoming New Year. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

Fireworks explode in the sky above the Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Dec. 31, 2009, to celebrate the upcoming New Year. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

In Guangzhou

A girl wearing a "tiger hat" attends a countdown concert to celebrate the arrival of 2010, the Year of the Tiger, in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

A child wearing a "tiger hat" attends a countdown concert to celebrate the arrival of 2010, the Year of the Tiger, in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

A child wearing a "tiger hat" attends a countdown concert to celebrate the arrival of 2010, the Year of the Tiger, in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

In Changchun, Northeast China

Two calligraphists from the Taiwan Strait perform during an evening gala in Changchun, capital of east China's Jilin Province, on Dec. 31, 2009. Calligraphists from both Jilin and Taiwan gave their performance together during the "Vasa Night" gala, which was a part of the Changchun Vasaloppet 2009, to celebrate the upcoming New Year. (Xinhua/Xu Jiajun)

Two calligraphists from the Taiwan Strait perform during an evening gala in Changchun, capital of east China's Jilin Province, on Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Xu Jiajun)

In Greater Hinggan Mountains, Northeast China

People of Oroqen ethnic group dance with soldiers of a frontier defence regiment in remote Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 31, 2009. Oroqen people and the soldiers celebrated the upcoming new year of 2010. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

People of Oroqen ethnic group present gifts to soldiers of a frontier defence regiment in remote Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

People of Oroqen ethnic group present gifts to soldiers of a frontier defence regiment in remote Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

In Yuncheng, North China

A woman dries red lanterns in the air in YangZhao Village of Jifeng Township in Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province, Dec. 31, 2009. The handmade red lanterns sell well as the New Year nears. (Xinhua/Xue Jun)

A woman dries red lanterns in the air in YangZhao Village of Jifeng Township in Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province, Dec. 31, 2009. The handmade red lanterns sell well as the New Year nears. (Xinhua/Xue Jun)