The New Year's Day is drawing near. For many Chinese people, having a family reunion dinner on New Year's Eve is the most important aspect during the holiday celebration.

Water banquet, Luoyang, Henan Province

Also called soup banquet, Luoyang Water Banquet is a traditional Chinese cuisine composed of 24 dishes. The eight cold dishes are first served, followed by sixteen hot dishes which are held in blue-and-white porcelain plates of different sizes.

Of the 24 dishes, the peony banquet is the main course of the feast. The classical dish is made by steaming white carrot, needle mushroom, black mushroom, white bamboo shoots and egg yolk cake in specially-made soup. The egg yolk cake is sliced into thin layers shaped like peony flowers. That is why it is called "peony banquet".

In China, flowers blossom for riches and honor. Therefore it will be quite auspicious to have the dinner at the beginning of a new year.

New Year events in Luoyang:

From the first day of the Lunar New Year (Feb.3) to the seventh day (Feb.9), the Heluo Cultural Temple Fair is held in Luoyang Sui & Tang Dynasties Relics Botanic Garden, where visitors can taste snacks from all parts of the country and enjoy heated cockfighting performances.

From the first day of the Lunar New Year (Feb.3) to the nineteenth day (Feb.21), the Guanlin Spring Festival Temple Fair which has been interrupted for some years will be resumed at the Guanlin Scenic Spot.