Cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou launched a series of night-time shows these days to fill both cities with a strong festive atmosphere with the approach of the upcoming Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 17 this year.
In Shanghai's Lujiazui area, a spectacular light show was staged to offer people a vivid visual experience on Saturday. Along the banks of the Huangpu River, traditional folk performances, such as molten iron fireworks, added festive atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. Besides, cultural activities were also held in the Shanghai Library to mark the Chinese New Year, including a traditional wedding ceremony and an intangible cultural heritage market.
Just a day earlier, Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, kicked off its annual lantern show in the Yuexiu Park with a 20-meter-tall lion head installed over the main gate. The lantern show sets up 85 groups of distinctive lantern displays scattered throughout the 10 major tourist areas.
As the upcoming Chinese New Year will be the Year of Horse, the show embraces a group of lanterns featuring horses galloping over a lake inside the park.
"[The lantern show] is really fun, and I highly recommend everyone come, because each place has its own culture that is worth experiencing," said a local.
This year's Guangzhou Spring Festival lantern show takes Yuexiu Park as its main venue and started simultaneously with seven other parks as sub-venues. The citywide celebration is scheduled to run through March 8.
Shanghai, Guangzhou light up for upcoming Spring Festival with light, lantern shows
Hundreds of Washington D.C. residents braved freezing weather as they took to the streets on Saturday in protest against the federal immigration enforcement operations and the recent fatal shootings by immigration agents.
Demonstrators expressed their anger and demanded that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to leave their community, chanting slogans like "ICE out" and "Boycott Target" -- the latter referring to a major retailer chain where activists say ICE is being allowed to stage detainment operations in the business's parking lots.
Kathy, a local resident who joined the protest, said that she felt compelled to walk out and speak out as the ICE activity was heartbreaking.
"So, I'm just here because I'm very upset with how the Trump administration is treating our immigrants and the horrible murders by ICE. And so, this is what I can do to show my opinion. It breaks my heart and what else can I do? So that's what I do. Come out here," she said.
Protests have been held across the United States earlier this week, triggered by the deaths of two Minneapolis residents shot by federal agents this month.
Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE agent.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed on Jan. 24 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents while observing a federal operation.
According to the organizer's website, the demonstrations, organized under the banner "National Shutdown," took place in at least 300 cities, with actions ranging from business closures to student walkouts and street marches.
D.C. residents rally against violent law enforcement
