This year’s celebration of the Chinese New Year ushering the ‘Year of the Wood Dragon’ is special in so many ways.
Not only because of its record attendance of 1.5 million people from all over the country including foreign tourists, but moreso because it was made grander by the fact that the festivities actually lead to the celebration of the 430th anniversary of the Manila Chinatown, which happens to be the oldest and the biggest in the entire world.
The crowd estimates were based on the statistics provided by the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau headed by Zeny Viaje, the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office under Arnel Angeles and the management of Lucky Chinatown, which served as the end point of the ‘Solidarity Parade’ that began at the Post Office Building in Plaza Lawton.
Beginning with the 12-minute grand, musical fireworks display at the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Bridge where at least 100,000 spectators were scattered over the Jones Bridge which served as the viewing deck, throngs flocked all the way to the esplanade and the riverside as the clock struck 12 on February 9.
The following day, or on Chinese New Year’s Day itself, the number of Chinatown visitors and revelers swelled to more than a million.
Apart from the crowd estimation of the MTPB and the MDRRMO, we are also basing on the numbers supplied by the Lucky Chinatown, whose management said that the mall had a combined total visitors of not lower than one million on February 9 and 10 alone, at 500,000 per day.
The 30 colorful floats that participated in the parade, representing the city government and the different Chinese-Filipino organizations that actually helped mount the Chinese New Year celebration that came at no cost to the city, were met by a mammoth crowd.
The crowds were too big that the parade had to be halted several times. The longest stop was for about 30 minutes, as we negotiated the turn from Quintin Paredes leading to Ongpin Street.
In what we saw as a ‘good problem,’ the parade went snail-paced from the area approaching the Ongpin monument, all the way to the ever-busy main street of Ongpin itself.
All in all, what could have been just a 30-minute trip was stretched to about four hours, as throngs of people welcomed the floats in joyful glee. Even if what we threw to the crowds were mere token items like goodies, snacks and ‘angpao’ containing small amounts, they were but too happy to receive them, believing it would bring them luck.
China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xi Lian expressed great elation and surprise at the crowd turnout and immediately extended his congratulations to Mayor Honey Lacuna for the successful celebration of the Chinese New Year in Manila.
Just like him, other authorities from here and abroad also greeted the Lacuna administration for its efficient handling of such a grand celebration.
Even to date, the Chinatown area continues to be abuzz with daylong revelry and activities for food lovers and those merely scouting for items widely believed to bring good luck.
The celebration is not over though. We still have the 430th anniversary celebration of the Manila Chinatown next month.
We look forward to make the unique event just as fun and grand, if not even way better.
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