Impressions of 2021 Chinese Lunar New Year

People visit the Old North Market during the Lunar New Year holiday in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning province, February 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Spring Festival, or "chunjie" in Chinese, is the most important festival of the year for Chinese. 2021 is the Chinese Year of the Ox, the second sign in the traditional Chinese zodiac cycle. In Chinese culture, the ox symbolizes diligence, dedication, endeavor and strength. 

China ushered in the lunar year after a hard yet historic 2020. The country brought the domestic COVID-19 epidemic under control in a short period of time with swift and effective measures, and scattered cluster infections were quickly contained in the past few months.

During the vacation, instead of reunite with family, many people stick to their posts to make sure other people can celebrate the festival safely.

China removed all its remaining 52 counties from the poverty list last year -- a historic feat for the world's most populous nation.

Once poor villages are now filled with joys and hopes.

The Chinese Lunar New Year is a moment of reunion and unity. At this time of renewal, may we all have brighter futures in the Year of the Ox.

People nationwide chose not to return home for this year's "chunjie" to support the nation's epidemic prevention efforts.