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Ornaments for the Spring Festival in the shape of Chinese character "Spring" are sold in Yunyang county of southwest China's Chongqing municipality, Feb. 5, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

 
Ornaments in the shape of fircrackers and red chillis for the Spring Festival are sold in Yunyang county of southwest China's Chongqing municipality, Feb. 5, 2005. (Xinhua photo/Yao Guojun)

 
Ornaments in the shape of fish for the Spring Festival are sold in Yunyang county of southwest China's Chongqing municipality, Feb. 5, 2005. Fish is a traditional figure in the celebration of the lunar New Year in China, which carries the meaning of gaining profits year-by-year. (Xinhua photo/Yao Guojun)

 
A 13-year-old boy from Jinmen (R1) writes a Spring Festival scroll in a gathering in Xiamen, China, Feb. 5, 2005. Over 300 calligraphers and calligraphy fans from Xiamen and Jinmen gathered in Xiaman to attend an activity of writing Spring Festival scrolls Saturday, 4 days prior to the Spring Festival which falls on Feb. 9, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

 
People crowd in a shopping mall, purchasing for the Spring Festival in Wuxi City in east China¡¯s Jiangsu Province Feb. 4, 2005. A festive atmosphere permeates department stores filled with traditional paper-cut designs, popular New Year pictures, red lanterns and lucky Chinese knots. (Xinhua Photo/Cheng Binghong)

 
Two girls of Wa nationality hang red lanterns on the gate to celebrate the lunar new year in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 5, 2005. (Xinhua photo/Lv Chuanquan)

 
A customer picks out New Year ornaments in a market in Huaibei, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 5, 2005. The entire city is immersed in festivity prior to the traditional Spring Festival, the most important holiday in China that is to fall on Feb. 9. (Xinhua photo)

Although there are still three days until the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, a festive air has already swept across China. People around the country are holding various traditional celebrations under local conventions.

In this village of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, celebrating the Spring Festival with dragon dances is an old tradition.

Accompanying by the beating of drums, people carry the dragon all through the crops field and the village, hoping for a good harvest next year.

In central China, villagers are buying holiday goods at special markets, organized before and during the Spring Festival holiday. People living nearby go to the markets, all wearing their holiday best.

In east China's Jinagsu Province, the provincial capital city of Nanjing will be lit with thousands of colorful lanterns for three weeks, beginning this Sunday. Being made of paper, wire and bamboo, the lanterns have many patterns resembling animals and flowers.

It is a tradition for Chinese people to hang lanterns in front of their houses or in the streets during the Spring Festival holiday season. They believe that will bring good fortunes in the new year.

 
Editor: Catherine