BEIJING: After the government lifted its strict "zero-Covid" policy, people celebrated the Lunar New Year across China on Sunday, with large family gatherings and crowds thronging temples. It was the country's biggest holiday since the pandemic began three years ago.

In China, the Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday. The Chinese zodiac names each year after one of the 12 zodiac signs, the current year being the Year of the Rabbit. In light of the pandemic, the festivities have been postponed for the last three years.

With the relaxation of most COVID-19 restrictions, freed from quarantine, possible lockdowns and suspension of travel, many people may finally make their first trip back to their hometowns to reunite with their families.

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Large public celebrations, known in China as the Spring Festival, also returned, with the country's capital hosting thousands of cultural events on a larger scale than the previous year.

Wu Zunyao, director of the Center for Disease Control in China, warned that the widespread movement of people could contribute to the spread of the virus in some places.

However, a significant COVID-19 outbreak will be unlikely in the next two to three months due to the fact that the recent wave of infections has affected 80% of the country's 1.4 billion population.

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Many worshipers offered morning prayers at the Lama Temple in Beijing, but crowds there appeared smaller than before the pandemic. Due to security concerns, the Tibetan Buddhist site allows only 60,000 visitors per day and requires reservations.

The avenues of Taorenting Park were decorated with traditional Chinese lanterns, but there was no sign of the park's bustling New Year food stalls. The week marks the return of a popular temple fair that was suspended for three years at Badachu Park; However, similar events have yet to resume at Ditton Park and Longton Lake Park.

People celebrate by lighting the first incense sticks of the year at the Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong's largest Taoist temple. Due to the pandemic, the famous ritual of the site was put on hold for the past two years.

On Lunar New Year's Eve, large crowds are usually present, everyone trying to get their incense sticks in front of the main hall of the temple before 11 pm. According to worshippers, the first people to light their incense sticks will have the best chance of getting their prayers answered.

Freddy Ho, a local resident who visited the temple on Saturday night, expressed his happiness to personally attend the event.

I intend to light the first incense stick and pray for world peace for the coming of the new year, prosperity for Hong Kong's economy, and an end to the pandemic so that everyone can resume their normal lives" said Ho. "I think everybody wants it."

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Despite the waning of the pandemic, crowds praying for good fortune at Taipei's famous Longshan Temple were smaller than a year ago. This is partly due to the fact that many residents there made long-awaited trips to Taiwan or other regions overseas.

The Vietnamese were celebrating the Year of the Cat as the rest of Asia ushered in the Year of the Rabbit. There is no official justification for the distinction. However, one theory argues that cats are well-liked because they often assist Vietnamese rice farmers in exterminating rats.