Taiwanese pray ‘just to be safe’ as the Year of the Rabbit nears - NEWS TIMES 9

Taiwanese pray ‘just to be safe’ as the Year of the Rabbit nears.

People visit Taipei’s Longshan Temple to ward off any misfortune coming their way in the new year.

Taipei, Taiwan – Preparing for the Lunar New Year is a busy time for people like Ms Lin, a 58-year-old who works near Taipei’s historic Longshan Temple.

Many Taiwanese – and people of Chinese descent throughout the world – get their hair cut, buy new clothes, clean out the house, prepare for a family feast or travel back home in the run-up to the festival, which this year falls on Sunday.

But many also find time to visit their local temple to pray to gods and ancestors and ward off anything untoward lurking in the year ahead.