Hundreds of Sydneysiders crowded into the CBD's Belmore Park for the launch of the city's Chinese New Year Festival on Friday night.
The annual markets offered a wide range of food, drinks and New Year gifts for those gathered to welcome the Year of the Snake.
From traditional stir fries to deep-fried apple spirals on sticks, revellers grazed their way around the park before the traditional ceremony brought dragons and lions to the stage.
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A huge inflatable snake nodded in the breeze as local dignitaries, celebrities including former MasterChef winner Adam Liaw and members of the Chinese community gathered for the launch.
Kicking off proceedings, dancers clad in various snake costumes writhed on stage before a traditional indigenous welcome to country heralded the lion dancers.
Sydney's Chinese New Year partner city Shenzhen brought magician Xin Ya Fei accompanied by a folk singer to entertain the crowd, along with with a sneak peek from some of the 3500 performers expected at the Twilight Parade on February 17.
This year the city welcomed a team from China's Shenzen province: the 120 delegates will participate in the 80 planned events.
"This started as a little small festival by the Chinese community in Chinatown - look at it now!" says Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Thousands are expected to flock to the event, now in its 17th year.
It's a celebration of diversity, featuring elements of the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures, with Aboriginal song and dance in the mix too.
Chair of the festival advisory group, Robert Kok says the celebrations are about coming together with family.
"Traditionally it's about family, giving thanks and welcoming a bountiful spring harvest. It's almost a time of hope and renewal."
More than 1.5 billion people across Asia are marking the Lunar New Year.
In China, the mass migration reached its peak yesterday, as millions of migrant made the journey home to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
The state-run news agency reported that 6.2 million trips were expected to be made by train across the country on Friday.
Temples in Beijing were dressed with lanterns, while in Taiwan shoppers flocked to the market.
In Vietnam, it's all about red and gold ornaments - symbols of prosperity.
"New year is an important event and the house must be decorated. I buy these ornaments with hope to bring good luck to my family," says shopper Dam Duc Thong.
And freezing temperatures didn't stop residents in Seoul from stocking up on traditional treats.
Back in Sydney, crowds can look forward to warm days and balmy nights filled with street markets, art exhibitions and other eccentric surprises.
The Chinese-speaking world ushers in its new year on Sunday, when its 12-year zodiac will turn from the dragon to the snake.
The two previous years of the snake saw the September 11 attacks in 2001, and the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
Share the Lunar New Year with food, film and community events
