Hot Trending Gossips: chinese new year celebrations photo

Chinese New Year celebrations are underway in Bangkok’s Chinatown (Yaowarat). Here a few photos of the first day of festivities. Click here for an itinerary of Chinatown New Year events for Friday, February 4. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn attended to open the event. She arrived at Wat Traimit (home of the World’s Largest Solid Gold Buddha and the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Center) where she was met by groups of students and admirers. She walked to the gate of Chinatown for some Thai dancing performances, and then made her way up Yaowarat Road with crowds lining both sides of the street.
When the Princess was gone, the crowds poured in off the sidewalks and vendors almost instantaneously set up their wares in the road. Plenty of delicious street food was on hand, and not just Chinese fare. This will continue into the weekend, so get out and have a look. Take the MRT Subway to Hua Lumphoung Station and make the short walk into Chinatown if you want to avoid the bad traffic.
All Photos by Kevin Revolinski

: Chinese New Year is partly about noise. Expect lots of fireworks, drums, and these little dragon noise makers for sale in the streets.

: Chinese decorations in front of Wat Traimit

: A statue of the Rabbit (for the Year of the Rabbit), located at the gate of Chinatown and presented to the Princess.

: Many children are dressed in bright red Chinese clothing.

: Photos of the Royal Family on display in Chinatown

: Praying and burning incense at a Chinese shrine

: Kuan Yim or Guan Yin, a Chinese goddess of compassion has important shrines in Bangkok’s Chinatown and elsewhere in the city

: Chinese sweets being made right in the streets

: Thai call these sala pao but they are not pork buns. Dip them in sweet pandan-colored coconut custard. Delicious (and a bit bigger than usual during Chinese New Year!)