A Lucky 8 Places to Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit - Atlas Obscura Lists

A Lucky 8 Places to Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit

Hop into the Lunar New Year with some furry friends.

From January 23 to February 1, 2023, people across Asia and the global Asian diaspora will celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome in the Year of the Rabbit. Each year celebrates one of 12 animals from the Chinese zodiac, and the rabbit appears from its hutch to represent wittiness, cautiousness, and cleverness, among other attributes. As we prepare for a year that we all hope will be filled with prosperity and progress, here are some of our favorite places to explore the mystique of these furry friends. 

Under a lone tree in Newport Beach, California, stands a strange circle of 14 stone statues: Bunnyhenge. This cheeky artwork was installed in 2013, to the delight of children and the loathing of some local residents who found the $221,000 price tag too high. Down a winding street in Gaia, Portugal, is a less controversial work of art: a giant rabbit sculpture composed of recycled trash, by Portuguese artist Bordallo II. Half Rabbit got its name because only half the sculpture contains color. From a museum dedicated to bunnies (and love) to shrines that are covered in adorable leporids, here are a lucky eight unusual places to make this a memorable new year.Â