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China’s Lunar New Year Arrives With Quiet Streets and Growing Unease

As state media touts stability, a resident in central China describes economic strain, fading hope, and a sense that ’something big' may be coming.
China’s Lunar New Year Arrives With Quiet Streets and Growing Unease
A migrant worker crosses a road after arriving on a long-distance bus in Beijing on March 10, 2021. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
Michael Zhuang
Michael Zhuang
2/17/2026|Updated: 2/18/2026
0:00

During the Lunar New Year, Chinese state media filled TV screens with celebratory images of lanterns and fireworks, portraying the regime’s stability and prosperity. But people on the streets in central China told a different story.

In Henan province, one man who returned home for the holiday described something he had never seen before—silence.

Michael Zhuang
Michael Zhuang
Author
Michael Zhuang is a contributor to The Epoch Times with a focus on China-related topics.
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