People offered new year prayers at Kwan In Thang temple in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The Lunar New Year in Indonesia is called Imlek, primarily celebrated by the Chinese-Indonesian community. In 2002, Imlek was recognized as a national holiday.

Residents lit large incense sticks outside a temple in Hong Kong, marking the start of the Binh Ngo year.

The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year is enveloping many Asian countries and Asian communities worldwide. David Goh, a renowned Singaporean feng shui expert, stated that according to horoscopes, the Binh Ngo year (Year of the Fire Horse) signals significant changes, bold breakthroughs, and continuous development.

Buddhist monks went on alms rounds on the morning of the first day of the Binh Ngo year in Yangon, Myanmar.

An artist performed a fire dance before a crowd in Manila, Philippines.

People crawled under an altar to pray for peace at the Sin Sze Si Ya Taoist temple in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

The act of "crawling through" symbolizes overcoming the misfortunes of the old year and entering the new year with better fortune. This is not a widespread custom in Malaysia or China, but a local ritual specific to this temple.

Visitors lit incense and prayed for peace at Lama temple in Beijing, China.

People hung prayer cards on a tree in Melbourne, Australia.

New year celebrations in Bangkok were subdued compared to previous years, as Thailand is observing a period of mourning for Queen Mother Sirikit, mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who passed away in October 2025.

Despite the quieter atmosphere, people still flocked to temples and pagodas to pray for peace and enjoy the festive spirit.

Koreans bowed in respect to their ancestors across the border at Imjingak pavilion, near the inter-Korean demilitarized zone.

After the war, the Korean Peninsula's division separated many families, preventing them from visiting ancestral graves in North Korea. During the Lunar New Year, many Koreans come to Imjingak for a symbolic ceremony, turning north and bowing.

A girl in a lion dance costume stood before a wishing tree in Lam Tsuen village, Hong Kong.

On the first day of the year, people write wishes on red paper or wooden tags, tie them to an orange or a small heavy object, and throw them onto this ancient tree. If the object catches on a branch, people believe the wish will come true.

After several branch breakages due to overload, authorities restricted direct throwing onto the tree. Now, many hang their wishes on nearby racks or artificial trees to preserve the real tree.

Lion, unicorn, and dragon dances were performed in the early morning of the first day in Chinatown, New York, US.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended best wishes to communities celebrating the Lunar New Year worldwide, emphasizing the core values of togetherness and optimism.

According to him, the Lunar New Year is not only a time for families and friends to reunite and reflect on the past journey but also an opportunity to look towards the future with hope and determination to seize new opportunities.

Duc Trung (According to AFP, AP, Reuters)