Shoppers packed into a pop-up flower market in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood, browsing through a plethora of ornaments, plants and decorations.
The market, located inside the China Trade Center, provided last-minute shoppers with items for celebrating the Chinese New Year, which begins Tuesday.
Debbie Ho, the executive director of Chinatown Main Street, said the event is about preserving thousands of years of tradition.
"Keeping the tradition and the culture for years to come for our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren," she said. "We want them to know that that's their own identity."
Ho said the pop-up market has been a community staple for more than a decade — and that in the past week, it's seen hundreds of shoppers.
Vendor Lian Xue said this was her first true flower market. Wearing a traditional Chinese dress, Xue stood behind a table of assorted jewelry, from red bracelets with golden charms to necklaces holding a variety of gems. Some of the jewelry symbolized the year of the horse, this year's emblem in the Chinese zodiac cycle.
"This is a really good opportunity for, especially the local people, to know more about Chinese culture or Asian culture and get some good stuff for [the] New Year as well," Xue said.
Gabby May stopped by the market on Monday, the last day it was open. The Chinese-American restaurant she works at has been busy preparing for the Lunar New Year, but she wanted to take the time to grab some things for herself. She ended up going home with a colorful bouquet of fresh flowers and red envelopes, which she'll use to give friends and family money.
"For me, Lunar New Year is actually more important than [the] traditional New Year," May said. "It's just good food, good family, good vibes — and it just represents all things that can come to be."
Festivities will continue for weeks, with the Lunar New Year Lion Dance Parade taking place on March 1.
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