Year of the Monkey figures come in many shapes and sizes

The Monkeyis the ninth symbolin the 12-yearcycle of the Chinese zodiac, and is becoming a near-ubiquitous presence as peopleprepare for theYear of the Monkey, whichbeginson LunarNew Year,Feb. 8, 2016.

Some Monkeys have different emotions (and loincloths).

These toy monkeys were availableat a Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park, Hong Kong.

You can hang Monkeysas decorations...

These decorations at amarket inBinzhou, eastern China, will be usedfor the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

... Or send themby mail.

These postage stamps will be used through the year in the Philippines.

SomeMonkeys are madefrom pine cones ...

This Year of the Monkeydisplay was made up from around 15,000 pine cones and plants collected at the Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Japan.

... And some are made out ofdough.

Thisfolk artist makes a monkey head dough figurineat a tourist area inWeifang, China.

.... and some Monkeys are tiny and made oflead.

Taiwanese artist Chien-chu Lee, carvesa Monkey Kingfrom the tip of a pencil lead to mark the Lunar New Year celebrations, in Yunlin County, Taiwan. Lee is an engineer who spends his spare time carving pencil leads as a hobby.

Some Monkeys are sponsored by Pepsi ...

This monkey brings some colour todowntown Hanoi.

... And some are brought to you by Disney.

Disney's Abu, the monkey cartoon character fromAladdin, gota good reception when he appears for New Year celebrationsTokyo's Disneyland.

Some Monkeys stand out...

There are some twenty thousand Chinese living in Portugal, half of them in Lisbon.

.... while others blend in.

Thissoft-toy monkey fits right in as it sitson a traditional Chinese lantern in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Some Monkeys take the form ofmasks.

Folk artist Zhao Yongqi migrated to Beijing for work in the 1980s where he began training under an uncle who specialises in Peking Opera makeup. He soon found he had a passion for painting monkey masks.

And this year, Monkey always has your back.

The Year of the Monkey lastsuntilJan. 27, 2017.