Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is drawing near with the prelude of bustling traditional local fairs and vibrant celebrations in commercial districts across China.

The Spring Festival festivities began with a vibrant performance of dragon and lion dance in a busy commercial district of Hongkou, Shanghai. People from nearby communities and visitors flocked in droves to watch the fish lantern parade and go shopping in the New Year market.

The traditional rice cake-making was one of the most popular activities among the visiting families.

"When stepping on it, you have to maintain balance and avoid applying too much or too little force at once. It's quite enjoyable. It's my first time to make rice cakes in such a traditional way. I feel a strong New Year atmosphere here," said Fan Miaoren, a tourist to the event.

Nanping City of east China's Fujian Province is holding a New Year market, which is filled with constant shouts and calls of the vendors as they try to sell their specialties, which include pine mushrooms, pressed salted ducks, and water chestnuts.

Zhou is one of those coming to have some special purchases for the Spring Festival.

"The water chestnuts are so good here. Very famous. We come here to buy them every year and bring them back to our hometown, Pucheng (a country in Nanping)," he said.

Fuzhou, capital of Fujian, has also been organizing such markets. People can find over a hundred varieties of New Year goods in the markets, including agricultural specialties and cultural and creative products. In addition, there are colorful activities lined up for visitors such as parent-child farming projects and stove-boiled tea.

The local bazaars in Kashgar Prefecture of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have also seen increasing buyers to prepare New Year goods.

"The Spring Festival is around the corner, and I'm also on vacation. I come here to the bazaar with my sister to do some shopping for the upcoming Lunar New Year. Our family will then gather together and celebrate the arrival of the Lunar New Year," said a college student at the bazaar.

The Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb 10 this year, is China's most-cherished traditional festival when people across the country return to their hometowns for celebrations and family reunion.