Saturday 21 January marks the start of the year's most important traditional celebration in China.
It runs until February 5, when the spring festivities end with the lantern festival.
For the Chinese, the celebration of the new year and spring is above all a family celebration when you return to your hometown to meet relatives and friends.
The houses are decorated with red lanterns to bring good luck and keep evil spirits away.
Fireworks and traditional Chinese dragon and lion dances are common features of the festivities.
The custom originated in a folktale according to which the monster Nian attacked villagers every New Year, but was scared away with fireworks and red-colored candles.
Kick start for the economy
It is the first time in three years that Chinese can travel freely since the covid restrictions, which are among the strictest in the world, are lifted.
Analysts say the New Year travel could provide a much-needed kick-start to the economy after a rocky 2022, with hundreds of thousands of Chinese traveling to mainland China.
On Tuesday, one of the major travel days, there was a rush as free Chinese crowded train stations in the country's major cities.
According to state media, an estimated 390,000 passengers traveled from Shanghai's station alone during the day.
Over 2 billion trips
Between January 7 and February 15, transport authorities estimate that 2.1 billion trips will be made in China.
This is despite the fact that the health authorities have urged people to avoid traveling as the number of covid cases in rural areas is increasing sharply, and the vaccination rate among mainly the elderly is low.