Mastodon

THUMB Lunar New Year in Penang, Malaysia

A man dressed as Caishen, the god of wealth, gives away blessings at the Goddess of Mercy Taoist temple in Penang, Malaysia, on Feb. 5, 2019. It is customary on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year to welcome Caishen by symbolically inviting him into houses with firecrackers. RNS photo by Alexandra Radu

Explore More in:
No paywalls here. Thanks to you.
As an independent nonprofit, RNS believes everyone should have access to coverage of religion that is fair, thoughtful and inclusive. That's why you will never hit a paywall on our site; you can read all the stories and columns you want, free of charge (and we hope you read a lot of them!)

But, of course, producing this journalism carries a high cost, to support the reporters, editors, columnists, and the behind-the-scenes staff that keep this site up and running. That's why we ask that if you can, you consider becoming one of our donors. Any amount helps, and because we're a nonprofit, all of it goes to support our mission: To produce thoughtful, factual coverage of religion that helps you better understand the world. Thank you for reading and supporting RNS.
Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher
Donate today