Lantern Festival

February 9th, the 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival and is marked with the first full moon after the Chinese New Year. This is the next day of celebration in China. It kind of signifies an end to the Chinese New Year Spring Festival. The date changes every year. The day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China. Children carry around small lanterns on a stick that are about the size of a oatmeal box. There are many fireworks and you must eat these small round yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) that are very, very sweet.

Bev and I went down to the Seaworld Plaza, one block from home, to have a coffee at Starbucks and people watch. Here are a few photos that I took from 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. The fireworks went off all night long but this does mark an end to the guaranteed all night long fireworks we have had for weeks now. The fireworks are to keep the bad spirits away for the coming year.

Lunar New Year Celebrations

We did spend time in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year.

These are some shots of what we experienced. We spent three hours waiting in our little sidewalk spot to see the parade but were somewhat disappointed by a good but not spectacular parade. It was very dark, (nightime) and that made it difficult to see and photograph much, but most floats were lit-up.

It is the year of the Ox and in know to be a bad year as far as economic terms are known. The Hong Kong mayor shook a fortune telling stick out of a can of about 100 sticks and it was to predict the future for the year. It was the worst stick in the entire can.

Chinese New Year

It is time for the Chinese New Year Celebrations.

Our School has a number of student related performances. Every student from 2 year olds through Secondary IV's participate. These our some pics of this years performance.

QSI Student- Chinese New Year Celebration

Staff Member and her Husband sing Love Song

Staff Members sing duet

QSI Director Britt Bratley

The students put on a large production at the Old Shekou Theater. Actually two different performances. Here are a few pictures from the performance that I attended. This is a very big deal and the Chinese Teachers at the school put many hours into making the production something very special.

Chinese New Year

Year of the Rat, turned into the more palatable sweet Mouse

View of Seaworld from our Apartment

Costal Rose New Mall, Lantern Display

Poster in Seaworld

We were gone during much of Chinese New Year but here are some pics of the sights around our area. Lanterns, lights, and nightly fireworks that go off at any hour, 10 pm to 5 am every night even now three weeks after the actual date of the main celebration.