Lanterns and shopping warm up Xi'an

The Spring Festival spirit has already changed the look of Xi'an, in central China's Shaanxi Province. With lanterns being set up and shopkeepers stocking up for the Spring Festival shoppers, the city is all ready for the lunar new year celebrations.

Xi'an is brimming with festivity.

These magnificent holiday lanterns are ready for the Chinese New Year. In the evening, they will be turned on and transform the southern city's Tang Lotus Garden into a fairyland. In fact, this is the Xi'an people's favorite holiday event, The Spring Festival Lantern Show.

Huge and colorful lanterns provide a spectacular visual effect. Many of them are designed to make the best of the scenic garden, like this 100-meter water dragon lantern set, installed on the lake.

Xu Gang, vice manager of Advertising Department of Tang Lotus Garden, said, "This is the first time this dragon set has been presented on water. The smaller lotus and fish lanterns aside are meant to create a really beautiful effect at night. The visitors can take a boat to the center of the lake to have a better view."

In the north of the city, people are preparing for the New Year in a different way.

Indeed, what would a Spring Festival look like if there was no shopping?

Customer said, "I want to buy some Tang suits for my child. It is the traditional way, and also the best way to celebrate Spring Festival."

Many shop owners are going all out to meet the need of the crowds of customers.

Salesperson said, "We have had great sales recently, especially the sale of festival decorations, like Chinese knots."

And it looks like the shopping spree will continue for some time, until the lunar new year dawns on February 9th.