New York events

Elsewhere, in the United States, a variety of celebratory events are also unfolding.

"Happy Chinese New Year-Shanghai Week" invites New Yorkers to share in a sensory smorgasbord of celebratory and cultural activities from the vantage point of Shanghai, China's most modern city.

The series was kicked off on Tuesday with Chinese traditional cultural performances by Shanghai university students at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.

Chinese classical music, folk dance, traditional opera and martial arts were performed by teachers and students from various universities in Shanghai, allowing New York audiences a chance to experience Chinese folk arts.

Other events include Shanghai Film Week, Shanghai Screen Week, Shanghai Flavor cultural heritage exhibition, Amazing Shanghai photo exhibition and Overlord musical theater performance.

Chinese New Year is the moment a new zodiac year begins in the cycle of 12 years that are each represented by an animal. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, which means the festival falls on different dates each year. In 2018, the animal will switch from the Rooster to the Dog.

Celebrations in China typically start on Chinese New Year's Eve and continue until the Lantern Festival, which is on the 15th day of the first month.

Contact the writers at boleung@mail.chinadailyuk.com