The Chinese New Year is coming in 3 days. The new year's eve is February 9th this year. From February 10th, it will be the new year of snake. Although snake was worshiped in ancient Chinese mythologies, it is often associated as sinister or vicious nowadays. Peoples born in the years of snake prefer to consider themselves as a smaller dragon. The snake year falls behind the dragon year and body of the dragon comes from the snake. There is one exception - "The Legend of the White Snake". It is the story of a white snake turning into a female figure and married to the man who once saved her life.

Chinese New Year is the time for family get-together and celebration. For Chinese, a celebration cannot be completed without foods. Families start to prepare foods one month before the Spring Festival, or even earlier. Besides dried sea foods, salted ducks, cured meat, pork preserved in soy sauce is also a popular dish. Shanghai cuisine is known for its soy sauce and sugar taste.

What is the first thing reminding people of the approaching Chinese New Year? It is not the new year decoration, nor the holiday count down. It is the battle to get a train ticket home. Chinese New Year (the Spring Festival) is the most traditional holiday for Chinese people and it is the time in a year people shall spend with families. 220 million people are expected to use train as the transportation during the Spring Festival this year. 

Only 5 days to go entering the dragon year 2012! New year decoration has been put on everywhere, especially in the old town bazaar. There have been statues about dragon stories. Moving dragon and phoenix are set up in front of the old town food quarter. Big "lotus flowers" can be seen all over the town. The Spring Festival is the most exciting and important festival for the year.

Next year 2012 is the Chinese year of Dragon. The new year's eve will be January 22nd, which is coming in less than a month. People are getting prepared for the most important traditional festival - Spring Festival. You can feel the it stronger in the villages and water towns. Dried sausage, salted chicken and dried fishes, etc. can be seen all over the ZhuJiaJiao water town.