Coronavirus: Year of the Tiger’s subdued celebrations with signs of hope

China’s holiday coincides with the Winter Olympics, so Beijing has tightened controls to contain coronavirus outbreaks; Hong Kong closed restaurants at 6pm

Elsewhere in Asia it was livelier for the Vietnamese who flocked to traditional markets in Hanoi, and business was brisk in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei

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Chinese traditional Lion Dance during Lunar New Year celebrations in Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:09pm, 31 Jan 2022Updated: 2:55am, 1 Feb 2022

People across Asia prepared for muted Lunar New Year celebrations on Monday amid concerns over the coronavirus and virulent Omicron variant, even as increasing vaccination rates raised hopes that the Year of the Tiger might bring life back closer to normal.

The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China and falls on Tuesday, February 1 this year. Each year is named after one of twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac in a repeating cycle. The Year of the Tiger follows the Year of the Ox.

This will be the third new year in a row celebrated in the shadow of the pandemic. It was two days before the holiday in 2020 that China locked down Wuhan – a city of 11 million people – following the detection of the coronavirus there.

Queue outside a Covid-19 test site on Lunar New Year’s Eve in Beijing. Photo: AP Photo

Some 85 per cent of Chinese are now fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data, and more Chinese have been travelling domestically this year, despite government warnings. Many people prepare to celebrate by buying red lanterns and other decorations for their homes, and food to mark the beginning of a new year.

Still, 63-year-old retiree Huang Ping lamented as he shopped at a Beijing flower market that the new year’s “atmosphere has faded” with the closure of temples and seasonal fairs to prevent large crowds. He said he hoped for better times soon.

“I wish for the epidemic to pass as early as possible and for the economy to recover as well,” he said.

Another retiree, Han Guiha, said he was planning on making the best of the situation. “I’ll stay at home enjoying good food and wine,” the 62-year-old said. “I will make my house clean and beautiful. Right now the virus is spreading and we need to be careful.”