Philippine-Chinese New Year 2009

I made a whole-day round of Chinatown in Manila yesterday to give you the fresh images of the wonderful and unique celebrations of the Chinese New Year in the Philippines. It was a fantastic day of spectacles, photography, interviews, fun fare, and binge eating! I am pleased to report that I have eaten all kinds of Chinese dumplings, noodles, hopias, tikoys, lumpias, and Chinese soups and chicken feet! I am glad.....because I survived!

At the end of the day, I was tired and bloated, ready to slam my whole body into my bed, but before doing so, let me give you some of the images I fancied to capture yesterday. I hope that by sharing these pictures, I may have shared with you some of the happiness of the pomp and circumstance of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.

Whew, what a Kung Hei Fat Choi that was!

You are now face to face with the real Ox of the Year

Many Chinese flocked to the Guan Sheng Fu Zi Buddhist Temple in Binondo, Manila to ask for the Buddhist gods for prosperity in the New Year. I learned that many of these Chinese are also Christians and Roman Catholics. One of the Catholic Chinese I interviewed said it is better in business to "ask the blessings of all the gods, Buddhist god or Christian god, the more gods the more blessings".....Well, there goes the saying, "The more the merrier!"

Just to clarify, he's not wearing a mask...


Dancing to the tune of "Oh so sexy, oh sexy....yeah so sexy!"



Fire-breating dragon...I mean, performer

The wind suddenly blew towards his face, and the flame seared portions of his face and hair. The burn was only minor and he continued to perform afterwards

Lion Dancing amidst explosions of firecrackers

More pictures to follow!