Hong Kong tigers prowled the streets of the island to usher in the Lunar New Year.

2010 is the Year of the Tiger regarded as one of the luckiest signs in the Chinese zodiac.

However, Tibetans are boycotting the festivities for a second year in a row in protest against Chinese repression.

In Darmasala in India where the Dalai Lama is exiled a prayer session was held, attended by senior Buddhist monks.

In India the large Chinese community in Kolkata gathered to mark the occasion.

The Chinese began to arrive in West Bengal after leaving their homeland at the end of the Second World War.

In Chinatown in the Indonesian capital Jakarta candles and incense were lit and paraded through the streets.

While in Thailand, Chinese Thais visited the temple and came together to watch traditional dance and theatre and topped it off with a colourful fireworks display.

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