Celebration of Chinese New Year enters last day for Bangkok

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Celebration of Chinese New Year enters last day for Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Thais of Chinese descents across the country yesterday celebrated the Chinese New Year with colourful activities to welcome the Year of Monkey.

Celebration will continue today for the last day in Bangkok’s Yaowarat or China Town. The celebration today will begin midday and last until midnight.

But in other provinces with large Chinese communities, celebration will continue for a few more days.

In Bangkok, grand celebration took place at Yaowarat with HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presiding over the opening ceremony with the theme, “The Auspicious Golden Year of the Monkey Brings the Greatest Fortune.”

For this year, the Chinese government has brought over the statue of God of Earth Treasury or Di Zang from Jiuhuashan Temple in China for the Thai people to worship and pay their respects.

Also brought along from China is the Monkey God or Heng Jia statue from the Tai Sia Huk Jow temple for Thai people to worship for good luck and fortune.

The princess also boarded a royal tram to sightseeing around the venue and to visit the various stalls erected by various agencies to celebrate the Chinese New Year, during which she was warmly welcomed by both Thai and foreign visitors along both sides of the road

Several tens of thousands of festival goers, dressed in red colour, packed China Town watching both Thai and Chinese performances on the street.

They also went to worship the sacred entities at China Town, including Luang Por Dam of Wat Trai Mitr temple, the Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin, the Monkey God, Heng Jia, as well as the God of Fortune, Cai Shen for good luck, prosperity and blessings.

In the provinces, celebrations yesterday were also held.

Meanwhile Thai of Chinese descents and Vietnamese people of the Thai northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon have adorned themselves with traditional dresses to join in with the alms giving ceremony earlier this morning for good luck and blessings, whereas in the evening, the provincial office had launched this year’s Chinese New Year Festival under the theme, ‘The Chinese New Year of Three Nations’, aiming to strengthen the bonds between the Thais, Chinese and Vietnamese residing in the province.

In Phitsanulok province, Thais of Chinese descents flocked the Heng Jia or Monkey God Shrine, the biggest statue of the revered Chinese God in the Thai northern region, to pray for good luck and fortune.

Most of the local Thai-Chinese residents have opted to consume vegetarian food for their breakfast on the Chinese New Year believing that it would bring great blessings and fortune for the rest of the year.

Meanwhile a large group of Chinese tourists celebrated the new year on Samui Island, turning the atmosphere on the island to become more active and lively.

Air tickets to the famous island are also fully booked, and authorities have predicted that the Chinese New Year 2016 would generate an income of no less than 100 million baht for the renowned tourist destination.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/150168

-- Thai PBS 2016-02-09