According to tales and legends, in ancient times, every year on the eve of Chinese New Year (the end of the lunar year) there was a fight against a mythical beast called Nian. This beast had the body of a bull, the head of a lion, sharp teeth and horns, and it was said it hunted for a living.
The ferocious Nian secluded itself in the dark sea for most of the year, however, towards the end of winter, when there was nothing to eat the beast would go onshore and hunt people and other creatures, eati...