People on the Chinese mainland greeted the new year and bade farewell to the year 2001 in various ways.

Beijing citizens tolled the Yongle Bell in the Big Bell Temple 108 times at the turn of the new year, hoping to get rid of all the annoyances and troubles which afflicted them last year and have more luck in 2002.

People from all over China gathered in the vast Tian'anmen Square, in the heart of Beijing, Tuesday morning to watch the daily morning flag-raising ceremony.

To the accompaniment of the Chinese national anthem played over loudspeakers, the Chinese national flag started up the flagpole at 7:36 a.m. on this first day of 2002, precisely as the sun appeared on the horizon.

Students of Beijing University expressed their pride and excitement at a new year's party held early Tuesday morning. While recalling the past year when China saw many great events and opportunities, the students vowed to work harder for their motherland's bright future.

A lot of residents of Shanghai spent their new year's eve on Nanjing Road, one of the most prosperous business areas in this east China metropolis, to enjoy the fascinating night scene and cheerful atmosphere.

Some 2,010 delegates of Shanghai citizens gathered at the Oriental Pearl Tower Square in the Pudong New District Tuesday morning to express their strong desire to win the bid for hosting the 2010 World Exposition.

In Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, the annual marathon started at 9:30 am Tuesday amid thick fog, attracting several thousand participants, including local residents and government officials.

Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, was enveloped in a dynamic atmosphere on this first day of the new year. People sent e-cards to greet their kin and friends. In the past, it took them longer than people in any other part of China to receive messages.

A number of students at the University of Tibet spent their time on reading books in the library Tuesday, while among numerous devout Buddhists in front of the renowned Jokhang Temple, an elderly Tibetan woman was praying for her son to enter a key school in the new year and earn a good living with a satisfying career in the future.

( January 2, 2002)