After chocolates, stuffed bears and flowers keeping the in-love somewhat extra romantic and the singles slapped with their statuses, shortly comes the firecrackers, ang pao‘s and tikoys that heightens the excitement even for the non-Chinese.
Chinatown, Binondo, is probably the heart of Chinese citizens, but somehow, people of all races come to this place once every year to take a tour, relax, and watch performances by talented artists despite the place being crowded like Divisoria.
Apparently, this photo does not say so much about how much people are here, but to the ends of the road as well as the other end behind me is full of people. And this only happens once a year.
Great performers and great performers wannabe gather up here in hopes of getting aguinaldos and tips from locals and tourists in the area.
Two of my favorite photos are these two groups of kids who were not the least bit hindered by their age and capacity into hoping to get coins, or even bills from watchers.
Not only did these kids took the attention of a lot of people, but they were able to make people circle around their performance as well as take photos of their sweet alternative way to earn.
These kids aside, are fire dancers, who despite the danger of what they’re doing, seem to get as much attention.
Had to cartoonize that last photo because it was kinda blurry. Haha!
Schools as well as company advertisements paraded along Dasmarinas, Quintin Paredes and Ongpin.
On the sides of the streets were equally determined vendors, aiming to gain extra from selling different things from keychains, wind chimes, fruits that is said to bring luck and colored chicks.. literally.
Of course, the real lion and dragon dances cannot be absent during such occasion. This sitting lion apparently, amuses me.
I was in luck to witness probably one of the longest dragon I’ve seen.
Kuya Ronald, the one holding the first pole that has the ‘ball’ consists of 105 people holding it which took them around 3 months to make. Roughly 1.5 meters each interval… and with 105 people that’s over 150 meters.. imagine how long this thing is. Every year, as a tradition, these people from Sun Life Financial never fail to impress visitors of Binondo.
Chinese New Year, or whatever festival it may be, we cannot deny that these events provides opportunities, entertainment and a glimpse of our history in one occasion.
Life and Lemons 