China marks Lunar New Year with temple visits and traditional prayers

17 Feb 2026 • 4:53 PM MYT
Euronews
Euronews

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Crowds gathered at Beijing’s Lama Temple on Tuesday to mark the start of the Lunar New Year. Worshippers burned incense and offered prayers as the Year of the Horse began.

The Horse is the seventh sign in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle and is traditionally associated with energy, intelligence and independence.

Visitors were also seen touching a stone stele for good luck and writing notes inside the temple grounds, while security personnel managed the flow of people entering the site.