Local leaders kicked off Lunar New Year celebrations Monday with special guest speakers, performances and dim sum in Chinatown.

It is the year of the tiger on the Lunar calendar.

Justin Yu, president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, says turning the calendar is the time to regenerate the community.

"This community has suffered enough the past two years, but people still have a very strong will, strong will like a tiger," says Yu.

Officials say Asian hate crimes spiked during the pandemic, with 131 incidents reported in 2021. Police at the 5th Precinct in Chinatown say numbers there were actually low in comparison to other parts of the city.

"A community who protects each other, helps us with intelligence, speaks up when something's wrong - that's why we're able to be successful at this," says Paul Zangrilli, commanding officer of the 5th Precinct.

The NYPD says there will be more police officers patrolling the streets of Chinatown.

Amy Lin says despite the police presence, she is still afraid to walk on the street. She hopes the year of the tiger will be better.

Lunar New Year events continue Tuesday and end with a parade on Feb. 20.