A photo shows dragon lantern decorations strung up in an alleyway in the Qinhuai District of Nanjing, Jiangsu on December 13, 2023. /IC
A photo shows pedestrians passing under dragon lantern decorations strung up in an alleyway in the Qinhuai District of Nanjing, Jiangsu on December 13, 2023. /IC
A photo shows dragon lantern decorations strung up in an alleyway in the Qinhuai District of Nanjing, Jiangsu on December 13, 2023. /IC
A photo shows dragon lantern decorations strung up in an alleyway in the Qinhuai District of Nanjing, Jiangsu on December 13, 2023. /IC
Signs that the Year of the Dragon is approaching are popping up around China, as people prepare to ring in 2024. These dragon lantern decorations have spruced up an ancient alleyway in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. The dragon was a symbol once associated with imperial rule in China's past dynasties and today remains an entrenched symbol in Chinese culture. The combination of the architecture and the dragons is a display of long-standing traditions linked to Spring Festival.