Chinese Beauty. This is one of the first prize winners for Just Share It - Happy Chinese New Year 2015. [Photo/Ruben A Xuereb]

With the upcoming Year of the Monkey on Feb 8, 2016, Just Share It - Happy Chinese New Year the global online photo contest is being launched all over the world. Chinaculture.org invites people to share their photos of Chinese New Year celebrations.

The submission deadline is Feb 29, 2016. The top 100 photos (single or group) will be grouped into first, second and third levels and another 100 photos (single or group) will be shortlisted from the submitted works. All the 200 final selections will be paid 5,000RMB, 3,000RMB, 1,000RMB and 500RMB respectively.

The contest is sponsored by the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, and organized by Chinaculture.org and chinadaily.com.cn. The photographer can be of any nationality, but photographs must be of an event outside Chinese mainland (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and all foreign countries), with the theme of Chinese New Year celebrations.

The participant could submit photo to: [email protected]; or upload your work directly under this thread on China Daily website's English BBS (Bulletin Board System): http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/; or submit to China Culture's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/China-Culture-1575300589358145/

The contest is an important part of Happy Chinese New Year in 2016. Since 2009, Happy Chinese New Year, a worldwide celebration hosted by the Ministry of Culture of the PRC and other Chinese authorities, has engaged both overseas Chinese and citizens all over the world. Happy Chinese New Year in 2015 held over 800 programs in more than 320 cities in 118 countries and regions.

Just Share It - Happy Chinese New Year 2015 received 2,100 original works by 1,200 people from 35 countries and regions.

Please find more details of the contest here: http://www.chinaculture.org/