Chinese Art & artwork on Happy New Year decorations, hanging banners. Chinese character phase to signify good fortunes. New Years Eve decorations made from red and gold paper are hung down the doors to keep in good luck. These are marked with messages of good fortune such as happiness, prosperity and long life. A special form are Chinese couplets, pairs of banners, also called Duilian displayed on the sides of doors leading to people's homes. Chinatown, Manchester, UK

This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.

Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 blocks (or houses) just like its western counterpart, but with the major difference being that each house has a time-length of one year instead of one month. This year it's the Year of the Monkey, the ninth animal in the cycle. The next Year of the Monkey will be in 2028.