Huge crowds have turned out to watch Lunar New Year festivities in north-west England.
Parades were held in Manchester and Liverpool, which is home to Europe’s oldest Chinatown.
Thousands of spectators thronged the streets to celebrate the Year of the Snake, which symbolises intuition, intelligence and mystery.
Celebrated by 2 billion people worldwide, the festival runs over many days and starts with the first new moon of the lunar calendar, which occurred on 29 January.
