1 of 7
There was a joyful welcome for the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese capital, Beijing

2 of 7
Millions of people visited temples to pray for good fortune in the year ahead

3 of 7
There were colourful scenes across the region, such as here in Malaysia

4 of 7
Shops were busy too, as holiday makers shopped for presents and bargains

5 of 7
Indonesia marked the festival as a public holiday for only the second time

6 of 7
In this Buddhist temple in Sydney, it was a time to reflect on the year gone by

7 of 7
And in Vietnam, where the lunar new year is known as 'Tet', the focus was on the year to come