Los Angeles Marks Chinese New Year

     The area is multifaceted and brimming with traditional Chinese culture. Favorites among visitors and area residents include abundant Chinese crafts and food items. Shops selling porcelain, wood and jade, paintings, art, art supplies, books, herbs, teas, and pastries as well as numerous restaurants and banks insure there is something to fill every need.

The day's event was kicked off by a carnival held in New Chinatown with many flower-decorated vehicles joining a parade caravan along Valley Boulevard to celebrate the Chinese Year of Dog, according to the Chinese zodiac.

The Chinese zodiac, or Chinese animal sign, is a 12-year cycle used for dating years. They represent a cyclical concept of time, as compared to the Western linear concept of time.

Animals in the zodiac are a rat, a buffalo, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a goat, a monkey, a rooster, a dog and a pig.

Editor: Cindy