The Reunion Dinner is the biggest event of New Year's Eve - comparable to Christmas Dinner in the West - where the most important dish on the table is dumplings, or "Jiaozi".

It's also when children receive red envelopes containing gifts of money. Then comes the vigil of waiting for New Year's arrival, sometimes with fireworks.

And there's the tradition of pasting the character 'Fu' on doors or walls, to invoke New-Year blessings. And on the second day, people worship the God of Wealth.

Going to temple fairs is also part of the festivities. Apart from performances, there are countless booths offering snacks or selling traditional arts and crafts.

The fifth day is called "Po Wu" in Chinese and is when people set off firecrackers – a practice rooted in the belief that bad spirits from the prior year must be driven out.