Festival ushers in the Year of the Snake, China is flooded with auspicious representations of the hissing, scaly reptile, from pythons coiling around gold ingots to serpents with chubby faces and fluffy bodies.

Washington, D.C. fire chief said on Thursday that there are likely no survivors in the midair collision of a passenger plane and a helicopter near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday night.

Vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations unfolded across China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and Taiwan region, showcasing profound cultural traditions and fostering a sense of unity and joy among communities.

Many Chinese people chose to celebrate the first day of the Year of the Snake on Wednesday by watching films, propelling the box office to record sales.

Harbin is buzzing with festive energy as the city celebrates the Spring Festival while making final preparations for the 9th Asian Winter Games.

President Xi Jinping has extended Spring Festival greetings to Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese during an inspection trip to the northeastern province of Liaoning from Jan.

The festive atmosphere begins even earlier. The Laba Festival, celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth month in the Chinese calendar, is often seen as the precursor to the Spring Festival. A popular rhyme in northern China says, "Kids, kids, don't be greedy. After the Laba Festival, it's New Year already!"

Red lanterns swayed above doorways, their vibrant tassels dancing in the biting winter breeze. Inside the modest village homes, the warmth of friendship and tradition crackled like a well-tended hearth as families opened their doors to an unexpected guest: President Xi Jinping.

As the Chinese people are celebrating the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, they have been joined this year by an increased number of foreign tourists, who have come to experience Chinese culture following the implementation of a new visa-free transit policy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday noted solid progress the country has made in advancing Chinese modernization amid

As the traditional Chinese New Year approaches, China Media Group's CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) has partnered with five major global news alliances to promote the annual Spring Festival Gala.

Some 204.39 million inter-regional trips were made in China on Tuesday, the Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve, according to official statistics.