Hi readers! How did you celebrate the New Year's Day? China celebrates the Chinese New Year as the most important
celebration in the Chinese calendar, letting off firecrackers and performing
lion dances and dragon dances. Nankinmachi in Kobe has been hosting the Spring
Festival with their own twist for the last 27 years.
The Chinese New Year’s Day of 2013 was
February 10 and Nankinmachi held the festival from February 2 to 17. One of the
highlights of the festival a parade
featuring Chinese historical figures, in which people dress up in clothes and
makeup from Beijing Opera or the Chronicle of the Three Kingdom, was held on
February 10. There are some other great performances each
day during the celebration.
Jalan Besar Community Club who won the Shanghai
4th World Dragon & Lion Dance Championships were invited to perform this
year. Their 30 minutes stage was tremendously exciting. Even though it was a
cold winter day here, the crowds were mesmerized by that performance.
Look how lively it was!
It
really was like the dragon was alive! I saw the performance for the first time,
and didn’t know how hard they worked inside of the dragon. Their teamwork was
amazing.
Yummy part...
Mouthwatering
Chinese foods on the street are something you can’t miss. There are limited
foods exclusively available during the New Year’s celebration. There was also
the New Year’s calligraphy. It was like a beautiful painting.
The Spring Festival takes
place every year in Nankinmachi, Kobe. Why don’t you join next year? Nankinmachi itself is open all year
round, so you can enjoy the Chinatown at any time of the year.
Happy March,
Hana