Unlike western New Year, which always take place on January 1, Chinese New Year changes each year — here is a guide for learning something about Chinese New Year celebrations.

It begins this year on Friday, February 16 and usually runs for about two weeks. Chinese New Year takes place on a different date each year, because it is based on the lunar calendar.

Chinese New Year is celebrated globally with an explosion of light and sound, involving bell ringing, lighting firecrackers and watching traditional lion dances. Chinese families gather together for a reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, and clean their houses to sweep away bad luck on New Year’s Day. Traditionally, children would be given red envelopes stuffed with “lucky money” and positive wishes on New Year’s Day. Some teens now have red envelope apps, so their relatives can transfer cash digitally.

2018 is the Year of the Dog. The Chinese zodiac moves in a 12-year cycle, and those born in 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, and 2018 are also known as Dogs.

Here are some recommendations for tourists to choose from.

Banff, Canada

Banff, located in the Rockies, has a view of tall mountains, deep valleys and lakes, making it the first town to become part of the country’s national parks. Tourists can enjoy its beauty by hiking, horse riding and boat trips. Banff was founded in 1883 while a railroad was in construction. It was the water springs that drew the engineers’ attention to the place as a settlement. With such a fantastic view, it’s no surprise that Banff hosts a number of cultural festivals.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, with the warmest winters of any major European city.

Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The former was built in the 16^th century as a symbol of Portugal’s Extraordinary Age and the latter is one of the greatest examples of the Portuguese late-Gothic style of architecture. The Lisbon Oceanaium is among Europe’s finest aquariums. The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian is among the best museums in Europe containing priceless artworks covering 4000 years from ancient Egyptian times to the late 20^th century.

Portland, US

Portland is frequently recognized as one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly cities because of its well-built pavements, large community of cyclists and convenient public transportation. Its climate is ideal for growing roses and it’s called the “City of Roses”. Besides, the seaport is also known as a city of beer: it has the largest number of beer breweries（啤酒厂）of any city in the world. Today’s Portland is better known for its music. It’s called “the capital of karaoke” and “one of the most exciting music scenes” in the US.

Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux attracts tourists with its rich cultural heritage, especially its wealth of architectural treasures. Besides the Cathedral of Saint Andrew dating back to 12^th century, the Basilica of Saint Michael is another one of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It took 200 years to build from 14^th to 16^th centuries. Other significant buildings include the Grand Theater built in 1780 in the new Classical style and the Stone Bridge built in 1821.

Exposure to different cultures is one of the main reasons I enjoy visiting other countries. There are other types of food, interesting people, new experiences. 【小题1】

A country usually has its own money, such as RMB in China, rupee in India, and rufiyaa in Maldives. 【小题2】 This can make travel among such countries much easier and more convenient. In my opinion, however, I like having different kinds of money to use and get used to that while I travel. 【小题3】 When I visited Thailand and Vietnam last month, getting used to the fact that ₤1 is equal to over 42 Thai baht and 27,000 Vietnamese dong was also quite a good test for my maths skills!

If you’ve ever been to the U.K., you will know the Queen’s head is on every banknote and every coin. I was living in the Quebec province of Canada last year and money there surprised me greatly. 【小题4】 This is because she’s also Canada’s Head of State. Images on the Canadian money are various, including former prime ministers, as well as Canadian wildlife like the beaver, caribou and polar bear.

【小题5】 Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill appears on ₤5 banknotes and writer Jane Austen ₤10 banknotes. The banknotes are also made of a material called polymer rather than paper. In Canada, they are already using polymer banknotes and some people even think that the money smells of maple syrup (枫糖浆)，probably the country’s most well-known food!