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| Celebrate New Year Parade in The Hong Kong |
The New Year's parade in Hong Kong is an event not to be missed! The city is dressed up with bright decorations and colorful lights for its biggest celebration of the year, and thousands pour into Hong Kong to take part in the festivities.
Winding along the scenic waterfront of Hong Kong, the parade of the New Year is full of vibrant decorated floats. Representatives from Hong Kong and countries all over the world sing, dance and play music. The tunes of marching bands fill the air across the path of the parade as performers in brilliant costumes prance along the roads.
The forthcoming year (2006) is the Year of the Dog. Whichever zodiac creature has been observed for the forthcoming year, there are always plenty of dragons and lions in the parade. Energetic dancers wearing giant lion heads leap in the air as long dragons held aloft by more than twenty people snake past the enthralled parade watchers.
The New Year's parade is the biggest event of Hong Kong's Lunar New Year celebration. Close to 300,000 people attend the parade and millions more watch it on television. Recently the parade has taken place at night, featuring graphic, dazzling light displays.
The Lunar New Year is one of Hong Kong's most important and well-loved holidays. Each year one of twelve different creatures is observed, in accordance with the Chinese zodiac. Many of the city's towering skyscrapers are decked out in glittering lights for the holiday.
Through the three-day party, dancers in colorful costumes perform dragon and lion dances in the streets, malls and hotel receptions. Traditionally, people exchange small, red envelopes filled with money as gifts. Bloom marketplaces show up throughout town throughout the vacation, selling flowers as well as plants with particular value, and eateries and shops display blooms designed to bring good and immortality luck.
The fireworks can be viewed from the waterfront or from boats cruising the harbour. At the Sha Tin racetrack a big horse race occurs on the 3rd day of the party. This lively race is a favorite for gamblers and horseracing enthusiasts.
It is no wonder why a lot of journey to find all that Hong Kong offers, at among the planet 's largest Chinese New Year parties together with the energetic fusion of ancient customs and modern day entertaining.
