Variety of celebrations mark Year of the Horse

With just two days to go until the Year of the Horse, Chinese are getting ready to celebrate.

In central Henan province, families in both urban and rural areas are making their Spring Festival couplets. The poems are generally written on red paper and feature wishes for an auspicious new year. Steamed buns, sometimes embellished with Chinese dates and flowers, are also popular for expressing wishes for fortune and happiness.

In the eastern province of Anhui, people will welcome the new year with songs and dances. Traditional fish-shaped lanterns are used in performances to pray for good luck.

In south Guangzhou City, tens of thousands of people are taking in the Spring Festival flower markets. Local authorities say all markets will be open until February 14th. There will be 13 Flower Fairs in the city, the most in the country.