Legend has it that in ancient China, there was a monster called “Nian” that was extremely fierce and would come ashore every year to harm people and livestock.
Every year on this day, people would flee to the mountains to escape.
One year, an old man with white hair came to the east end of the village and said he could drive away the “Nian” monster.
People didn’t believe him and advised him to go to the mountains, but he insisted on staying.
When the “Nian” monster came, the sound of fireworks rang out, making the monster tremble and dare not move forward.
An old man wearing a red robe appeared, and the “Nian” monster was terrified and fled in panic.
The next day, when people returned to the village, they found it safe and sound and realized that the old man was a deity.
People also discovered the three treasures the old man used to drive away the “Nian” monster: red couplets, fireworks, and lights.
From then on, every year on this day, every household would put up red couplets, set off fireworks, and keep the lights on.
This custom spread far and wide and became China’s most important traditional festival, “Chinese New Year”, “Chinese New Yer’s aEve”.
通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!