BEIJING: During the Chinese New Year’s Eve celebration on Jan 28, zookeepers at the Locajoy Theme Park in Chongqing’s Yongchuan district distributed food-filled red envelopes to its primates, including chimpanzees, squirrel monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs and black-capped capuchin monkeys.
Chinese New Year red envelopes are a traditional custom typically observed during Spring Festival. People put money in red envelopes as gifts for family, friends, elders and juniors as a way to convey blessings and good wishes. This tradition symbolizes good luck and prosperity and is a gesture of gratitude and respect.
Each primate species displayed unique behaviors during the event when opening the red envelopes. For instance, Yuhui, the internet-famous chimpanzee, eagerly grabbed the red envelope, tore it open and joyfully savored the red dates, walnuts and peanuts inside.
The park said this New Year’s celebration brought joy to the animals and allowed visitors to experience a festive vibe and witness the animals’ adorable antics. Additionally, the event aimed to promote wildlife conservation efforts.
Earlier, Red lanterns, wishing trees, red envelop giveaways, Chinese calligraphy, crafts and giant pandas — the San Diego Zoo hosted vibrant Lunar New Year celebrations over the weekend to welcome the Year of the Snake. The zoo is adorned in brilliant red and gold, which symbolize good luck, health and prosperity.
Visitors immersed themselves in the festive spirit, experienced a variety of fun activities, tasted unique Lunar New Year flavors, and shared their messages of hope, health and happiness for the year ahead on wishing tress.
People lined up at the Panda Ridge, the home for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, to greet the two giant pandas from China. Crowds cheered as they watched the two pandas explore, climb, tumble, nap, and crunch on bamboo at their new home in the southwestern U.S. city. Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived in California from China on June 27 last year for a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation program with the San Diego Zoo, marking a new round of such collaboration between the two nations. –Agencies
