On February 3, the Kanas' "Invites You to Celebrate The Original New Year" 
event, hosted by Xinjiang Kanas Scenic Area, officially kicked off at the 
Hongbasi Ice Park in Hemu Village, Xinjiang. The celebratory event provides 
visitors with an opportunity to experience some of the area's most original New 
Year customs that are compelling in their very simplicity.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190129/2359597-1
("The Original New Year" event)

This year's "The Original New Year" includes a series of exciting activities 
popular with visitors, including, the iconic tradition of "cracking the bones 
and sucking the marrow". On each New Year's Eve, local residents boil a 
bovine's hind legs, visit their neighbors and join in the prayer for a happy 
and healthy life, in much way as the marrow fills the bones.

Until February 5, visitors will have an opportunity to participate in over 20 
traditional folk activities in celebration of the Lunar New Year in and around 
the geopark, including joining a campfire party, catching a lantern festival, 
watching several popular dance performances, in addition to tasting local food 
while enjoying a wide variety of folk performances. The dance performances will 
be filmed and uploaded to Chinese music video platform Tik Tok (also known as 
Douyin in China).

In addition to riding in a horse-drawn sled and spending a few minutes trying 
their luck with ancient fur skis, among other traditional experience events 
available to visitors, this year's lineup of events also provide travelers an 
opportunity to try on a variety of traditional Chinese garments and shoot a 
short video of themselves sporting the garments, with the aim of having 
visitors help promote tourism in Kanas by transforming Kanas Scenic Area into a 
"must see" destination. 

This year's "The Original New Year" is a true exploration into the local 
culture and the area's many traditional activities in celebration of Chinese 
New Year. The event provides visitors with a meaningful and memorable 
experience by giving them an opportunity to enjoy the festival in much the same 
way local inhabitants have been celebrating it for hundreds if not thousands of 
years. The event reflects and plays a key role in enhancing the recognition of 
the local culture and in boosting the growth of the tourism sector in Xinjiang.

SOURCE  Kanas Scenic Area