London's Chinatown holds vibrant celebration to ring in Chinese New Year

London on Sunday hosted one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside Asia, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the heart of the British capital to share in the festivities.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, fell on Jan. 29 this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake. The snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing wisdom, self-discovery and transformation.

Featuring various performances, including traditional lion and dragon dances, the event kicked off with a New Year's parade. Vibrant costumes, beautifully decorated floats and a chance to dance have attracted crowds of people in the city.

"I like that London celebrates Chinese New Year. My outfit is from China and it's from some of my family," said a kid, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing.

"London is so multicultural, isn't it? And just to see the cultures all getting along and to be able to celebrate with the people so close to Chinatown, it's just one of those real heartwarming London type of things," said a local resident.

And as the crowds packed out London's famous Trafalgar Square, China's Ambassador to the UK delivered a New Year's message.

"The huge turnout today is a testament to your support for China-UK cooperation, to your aspiration for working together among all countries. So, thank you for coming to this celebration," said Zheng Zeguang, Chinese Ambassador to the UK.

London's deputy mayor joined in the Eye Dotting ceremony - a tradition to awaken the lions ahead of their dance. She paid tribute to the close cultural ties between Britain and China.

"If anyone were ever to walk past and see how many people from so many backgrounds who are here in Trafalgar Square, all come together just to be part of our Chinese New Year celebrations. This is what is great about diversity and this is what is great about our city," said Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor of London.

So far, London's Chinese New Year has transformed from a small community event to the biggest celebration outside of Asia.

Construction of the fifth phase of Guangzhou Port's Nansha Port area, one of the major national projects, commenced in Nansha District of Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Friday.

The project is designed with an annual container throughput capacity of 6.7 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), according to the Guangzhou Port Group.

It has four deep-water berths, each capable of accommodating 200,000-ton container vessels, with a combined shoreline exceeding 3,800 meters.

Upon completion of the Phase V project, the total container throughput capacity of the Nansha Port area is expected to reach 35 million TEUs annually. This would place it among the world's leading single port complexes in terms of handling capacity, further solidifying Guangzhou's status as an international shipping hub.