Year Of The Rabbit Welcomed

The Chinese-speaking world welcomed the Year of the Rabbit Tuesday with fireworks, dragon dances and hopes for an end to Asia's economic troubles.

China's television news and newspapers, all controlled by the government, reported almost exclusively on merry-making for the nation's biggest holiday, highlighting the upbeat.

Rural Chinese welcomed the New Year with deafening blasts of fireworks, traditionally meant to scare off evil.

In Shanghai, China's biggest metropolis, workers swept up piles of debris in the streets after a thunderous night of fireworks set off in defiance of a ban.

During the night, Shanghai shook with fireworks ignited in nearly every street and rockets launched from the tops of buildings.

Even in staid Beijing, where fireworks also are banned, random bangs lasted through the night and into the morning.

Millions of Chinese took advantage of a seven-day government-ordered break and traveled to their hometowns to gather with their families and watch lion dances and other entertainment at fairs and parades. Others broke from tradition and went sightseeing instead, an alternative edging up in popularity.

But worries about unemployment caused spending to be curbed this year.

Tens of millions of workers have been laid off from defunct state-run factories, farmers chafe under heavy taxes and slow income growth. State media reported that even in the relatively affluent capital, spending on the lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, was down.

In the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Rabbit is believed to bring peace, prosperity and good luck. Throughout Asia, many were hoping that the New Year might bring a change of fortune after months of economic adversity.

By RENEE SCHOOF