CCTV9英语新闻：中国农历新年（在线收听）

In China, people are saying farewell to the Year of the Horse and welcoming the Year of the Sheep in their own special ways.

Not long to go until New Year's Day. Two neighboring villages in North China's Hebei Province hold a Waist Drum Competition, which has 600 years of history dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

The competition is called "Duigu" in Chinese. Both teams beat the waist drums long and hard, but whoever can persevere the longest will be declared the winner.

Meanwhile, in East China's Shandong, a dumpling-making competition attracts huge crowds. Upon the order, the competitors put on their aprons, and whoever can produce the most dumplings in three minutes will win.

"I am a housewife. For me, I don't mind whether I win or not. The most important thing for me is not to win but to have fun," said a woman.

In South China, there are various kinds of celebration. More than 300 people in the Longtan Village of Southwest China's Chongqing municipality prepare the "Hundred-Family Banquet", for their family reunion dinner.

Villagers, showing their special culinary skills, cook a wide variety of foods. And in east China's Jiangxi Province, buildings along the Ganjiang River are lit up one after the other.

The lead role of the light show -- named "Mengmeng" -- is jumping among the buildings, bringing joy and happiness.