New York City's Times Square became a sea of red on Tuesday as a series of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations took place here to mark the first day of the Year of the Pig.

An array of calligraphers from both China and the United States gave away their handwritings of "Fu," a Chinese character meaning fortune and luck, and red scarfs printed with the same character to hundreds of visitors at the "Crossroad of the World" to extend Lunar New Year greetings.

The Fu was written on a square piece of red paper, which can be seen posted on almost every household's door in China during this period of time every year as a tradition.

Receivers of the gifts, who were told about the meaning of Fu character, thanked the calligraphers and expressed their best wishes to the Chinese people around the world.

Jiang Guangfu, a Chinese calligrapher living in the United States, said that he sent out 100 pieces of Fu character to people passing by. "They love the character, and they love Chinese New Year," he said.

Some Chinese Americans who got the Fu said in excitement that they were so surprised to receive such an auspicious gift and would definitely post it on their doors.

Also on Tuesday morning, 11 giant digital billboards located in various corners of Times Square displayed messages of Lunar New Year greetings and videos of celebrations around China, including people making dumplings, raising red lanterns and watching lion dances, sharing the happiness and joy with people from around the world.

Organized by China National Tourist Office, New York, the billboard demonstration also featured videos of tourist attractions in China and Chinese cultural elements such as the Peking opera.

Times Square, located in the center of Manhattan, is a major tourist attraction and commercial center in New York and the United States. It draws an estimated 50 million visitors annually with 17 percent of them being global tourists. 

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