Treat your Valentine
Chinese Party Time
by Kirsten Kindermann
by Kirsten Kindermann
Chinese New Year sprang from an ancient legend revolving around a ferocious beast known as Nian. Today the word Nian simply means “year”, but long ago it was a word full of fear and dread among the Chinese people. Every year on the eve of Chinese New Year, Nian would tear through villages swallowing entire families in one bite of his gigantic jaws. Of course people were terrified, and thankfully one day an old man came to their rescue, offering to subdue Nian.
This brave and clever old man said to Nian, "I hear that you are very skilled, but can you swallow the other beasts of prey instead of people who are by no means your worthy opponents?" Nian met this challenge by devouring as many beasts of prey that he could.
The ones who escaped Nian’s wrath were driven deep into the forests. Then as quickly as he appeared, the old man disappeared riding on the back of the mighty beast Nian, revealing his true identity as an immortal god. Both the old man and Nian were never to be seen again. Before the old man had left, he gave them some very important advice: “At each year’s end make a lot of noise and adorn your houses with red paper to scare away Nian in case it creeps back again. Red is the colour Nian fears the most”, assured the old man.
Since then, the tradition of honouring the conquest of Nian has been carried on throughout countless generations. People continue to decorate their houses with red paper and light firecrackers, setting the streets ablaze in colour, noise and light. Should Nian have a chance to return, surely all this commotion would scare off the vicious beast.
However, most people today have long forgotten where these traditions came from. They purely enjoy the merriment and feel the colour and the sound add to the excitement of the celebration. Even the term "Guo Nian", which may have meant "Survive the Nian”, has evolved today to mean "Celebrate the (New) Year". Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for more than 25 percent of the world's population. It is a time for rejoicing and renewal when friends and family gather, many travelling far and wide, to reunite on this festive occasion.
Although China uses the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes, a special Chinese calendar, known as Yin-Yang Li, is used for determining festivals. Various Chinese communities around the world also use this calendar. The history of the Yin-Yang Li calendar goes back more than 4000 years when legend has it that the Emperor Huangdi invented the calendar in 2637 BC.
This ancient, yet remarkably evolved, calendar is based on modern cycles of the sun and moon that we still follow today. The Yin-Yang Li calendar calculated that the earth completed its revolution around the sun every 365 ¼ days, while the cycle of moon around the earth occurred every 29 ¼ days.
This “lunar-solar” calendar (Yin referring to the moon and Yang referring to the sun) shows that the principles of modern science were known by the Chinese thousands of years ago. In ancient China, the calendar was a sacred document, sponsored and spread by each emperor. For more than two millennia, a Bureau of Astronomy was responsible for all astronomical documentation.
They calculated events such as eclipses, made astrological predictions and maintained the calendar. After all, a successful calendar served practical needs as well as confirmed the connection between Heaven and the Imperial Court. It wasn’t until the turn of the century in 1912, that the general Chinese public implemented the modern Gregorian calendar, and the Chinese calendar lost its primary usage.
These days Chinese New Year remains a very important holiday for Chinese communities around the world and in many places, the holiday lasts for more than one month. Colourful and lively parades fill the streets, fireworks light up the sky, special food is prepared and a feeling of excitement fills the air.
Singapore has got to be one of the best places to join in the fun with celebrations lasting 42 days. The highlight is the century-old Chingay Parade of Dreams which features 2000 performers who entertain the masses along Orchard Road. You can get there early and try to find a good viewing space or buy your tickets in advance at the Singapore Visitors Centre to get a front row seat.
Other Singapore events include shows at the Marina Square Promenade, nightly cultural performances at Kreta Ayer Square Stage in Chinatown, a massive bazaar in Chinatown and fireworks over the Marina. Of course Singapore’s Chinatown is beautifully lit up and hosts a countdown complete with fireworks and partying until dawn.
The Hilton and the Meritus Mandarin hotels offer deluxe front-row accommodation on Orchard Road, while the Oriental Hotel is linked to Marina Square, where more festivities take place. Hotels in Chinatown include the Royal Peacock, the Berjaya, the Amara and the Grand Copthorne Waterfront
Hong Kong is another fabulous place to ring in the New Year with three days of festivities including a magnificent waterfront parade, dazzling international performance troupes, spectacular flower markets in Victoria Park, and an astounding firework display over Victoria Harbour.
If you want be near the celebrations, you can stay in hotels in either Kowloon or Central areas. Hong Kong’s fabulous public transport makes it so that you’re never far from the action. Check out the waterfront Excelsior Hotel or Park Lane Hotel with views of Victoria Park.
Bangkok’s Chinatown closes its streets to traffic and transforms itself into a three-day feast of food and music along Yaowarat and Charon Krung Roads. Exciting lion-dancing and colourful dragon processions accompany music, Chinese opera and fireworks. As the festival reaches its peak, massive numbers of people descend on the area to taste the mouth-watering Chinese cuisine like grilled pork, Peking duck, and noodles.
Chinatown runs along Chao Praya River, the most scenic place to stay in Bangkok. Several riverside hotels have their own private boats, allowing easy access into Chinatown and around the city. To stay in style, the legendary Oriental Hotel sits on the river banks, as do the Peninsula, the Shangri-La, and the Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa. Those on a tighter budget can try the Menam Riverside Hotel. If you travel by boat or river taxi, the Ratchawong Pier lets you off on the banks of Chinatown. To catch a river taxi from the Skytrain, get off at Sappan Taksin, located directly above Sathorn River Taxi Pier.
The birthplace of Chinese New Year, Shanghai, is alight with festivals and firecrackers for around two weeks. They take place in Yu Yuan Garden, Nanjing Street and The Bund, but the Longhua Temple hosts one of the most impressive and unique celebrations. At midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve, 108 honoured Buddhists climb the 40 metre tall Longhua Pagoda to strike the temple bell.
Popular throughout China is the extravagant show put on by Central Chinese Television (CCTV), viewed by tens of millions every year. A modern Chinese tradition is for families to gather in front of the television while gobbling dishes of dumplings and watching the captivating performances on New Year's Eve.
If you want to spend Chinese New Year in Shanghai, the famous Peace Hotel places guests in classic surroundings right on lively Nanjing Road, while the Park Hotel overlooks Renmin Park. You could live it up at the Grand Hyatt, where luxurious guest rooms boast enormous floor-to-ceiling windows from the 53rd to 87th floors, ensuring impressive views of the fireworks!
So, if you're not avoiding the crowds and noise this Chinese New Year - get out there and be the noise! It's a time for celebrating and joining the electrifying energy of one of the most vibrant festivals in the world!
To read more about China, go to our archive
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