A bronze rabbit head has drawn a stream of visitors to the National Museum of China in Beijing, as the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit hopped in. Exhibited at the museum, it is one of the 12 animal head sculptures that once formed a zodiac water clock in Beijing's Yuanmingyuan ("the garden of perfect brightness"), built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
"It's such a big surprise to see the rabbit head sculpture! And in the new year, I hope to see more wonderful things," says one social media user on the micro-blogging site Sina Weibo.
With more than 80 cultural relics from different periods throughout history on display at the themed exhibition, people were able to explore China's profound and rich culture, centering on the rabbit, the zodiac and Spring Festival celebrations during the holiday.
For the annual ritual, the fu character is ubiquitous in China's new year decoration. The word, meaning "good fortune", represents the people's aspiration for a better life and is a significant part of traditional Chinese culture.
"I brought my child here to feel the festive atmosphere and learn about traditional culture," says Huang Zheng, a visitor to the Fujian Museum in East China, where an exhibition with nearly 200 cultural relics themed on auspiciousness was held.
More than 2,200 Spring Festival-related exhibitions and activities are being held at over 900 museums across the country, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration.
Bookstores are a great way to enjoy the holiday for avid readers. Yu Bo, a resident of Wuhan, Hubei province, was delighted to find a newly opened central library in the city.
"The library provides a special experience during the festival and helps me unwind," he says.
In Beijing, more than 160 brick-and-mortar bookstores remained open over the holiday. Meanwhile, a series of events presenting intangible cultural heritage and folk culture were provided at the sites.
Cinemas also welcomed back moviegoers during this year's Spring Festival following the country's relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions.
"There are so many new movies these days. Families or individuals can all find a movie they can enjoy," says Lian Cheng, who watched multiple films on the first day of the new year in Shanghai.
A wide variety of new movies, including the sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth II, the commercial hits Full River Red and Hidden Blade, the family comedy Five Hundred Miles, and the animated fantasies Deep Sea and Boonie Bears: Guardian Code are on offer around this year's Spring Festival, usually a peak moviegoing period in China.
