Global Times offers their predictions for what Chinese citizens have to look forward to in the incoming Year of the Rabbit:

The frozen rain in the South and drought in the North suggest natural disasters will continue to be the biggest challenge to China. The No. 1 Central document has outlined a timetable for water control. The central government released tighter measures to tame the property market, including levying a property tax in Shanghai and Chongqing.

Tests for the government will also be controlling inflation and reducing Beijing’s clogged-up roads.

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the US in January, signing a joint statement framing the bilateral relationship as a cooperative partnership and reversing the 2010 downward trend in bilateral relations, giving hope for growth this year.

A year ago, China became the world’s second largest economy, a title that has not translated into effective comparative might. In coping with challenges from natural disasters to reducing misunderstandings held by the outside world, China appears to be scrambling for solutions.

China is far from an ideal state. We should both avoid overreaching and an inferiority complex. In the year of the Rabbit, domestic and diplomatic conflict will most likely still happen. As long as China’s development is not disrupted, we have reasons to believe this year will be a positive one.

See also, “China Welcomes the Year of the Rabbit: The Great Internal Migration” by Damien Ma in the Atlantic.

The Huffington Post has a slideshow of New Year preparations around China, while AP posted this raw video: