From Thailand and Serbia to New Zealand and the U.S., the Chinese New Year, which fell on January 22, has been widely celebrated.

Receptions and gatherings have been held. Landmark buildings have been lit up in red. Performances like dragon and lion dances, and red lanterns and other decorations featuring the rabbit – 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese Zodiac – can be easily found in most parts of the world.

When attending a Chinese New Year celebration in Ratchaburi Province of Thailand, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha hailed the centuries-old friendship between the two countries.

China has recently optimized its COVID-19 policy, and the Thai people are ready and eager to see the return of Chinese tourists, Prayut said.

This year, many places in Thailand, including Bangkok and Phuket, have held "Happy Chinese New Year" celebrations with rich content and unique features.

The Chinese New Year, though not yet a public holiday in Cambodia, is widely celebrated, and some schools, private companies and institutions choose to close for the occasion.

Sambo Manara, vice president of the Pannasastra University of Cambodia, said the Chinese New Year has gained popularity in the kingdom thanks to the close ties in politics, economics and culture between the two countries.

"A large number of Cambodians have Chinese ancestry, and we estimate that about 80 percent of Cambodians living in urban areas and 40 percent in rural areas celebrate the Chinese New Year," he told Xinhua.

In New Zealand, a Chinese New Year global gala night, the third of its kind, was staged online on Saturday to celebrate the festive occasion and promote Chinese culture globally, according to its organizer, the Culture Bridge.

"The Chinese New Year global gala night itself served as a platform for artistic and cultural exchange too, with artists and performers from different countries and ethnicities," said Jie Min, director of the Culture Bridge.

The three-hour gala featured famous and classic Chinese songs and performances such as performances of martial arts, Chinese crosstalk, traditional music instrument performances and Peking Opera.

In the Central African Republic, President Faustin-Archange Touadera held a grand Chinese New Year reception at the Presidential Palace for the first time, with more than 300 attendees.

Touadera wished new and greater development of relations between the two countries in the year ahead.

In Kenya, the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi held an event to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Students performed traditional Chinese opera, participated in a ring toss game, practiced Chinese calligraphy and tried Chinese martial arts during the celebrations.

The series of activities are seen as serving as a bridge in enhancing the mutual understanding between Chinese and Kenyan people, enabling an experience of the essence of traditional Chinese culture.

With fireworks, lion dance and a festival of tastes, Serbians and overseas Chinese welcomed the Chinese New Year in Belgrade on Saturday.

The central celebration at the Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade attracted hundreds of people, including Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, who were all entertained by lion dancers who flew there from China.

"On behalf of our people I wish you (China and Chinese people) good health, luck and many new economic achievements," Brnabic said, pledging to further strengthen the "iron-clad friendship" between the two countries.

The message "Happy Chinese New Year" was broadcast from the Belgrade Tower, the tallest building in that part of the Balkans.

In the United Kingdom, diners visited the lantern-decorated Chinatown in London and didn't miss the opportunity to take selfies to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit.

In Scotland, Edinburgh celebrated the Chinese New Year with a wide range of events and activities, including concerts, a light show and opportunities for residents to try their hand at Chinese calligraphy.

"Here in Edinburgh, we've got the largest Chinese New Year celebrations in Scotland for people in Edinburgh to be involved, have a really good time, and really welcome this new year of success and good luck, the Year of the Rabbit," said Robert Aldridge, mayor of the city.

Across the Atlantic, the Empire State Building, a well-known landmark in New York City, was lit in red from Friday evening for the 23rd consecutive year.

"We are so pleased to extend our heartfelt New Year's wishes to the entire Chinese community here in the United States, around the world and especially in China," said Tony Malkin, chairman, president and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, at the ceremony at which the Fifth Avenue Window Exhibition was also unveiled.

Tourists can also buy panda toys, red envelopes, candies, fabrics and fans in a Chinese style from a stand on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: People visit the lantern-decorated Chinatown in London, the United Kingdom, January 20, 2023. /Xinhua)