Welcoming the tiger

Millions of people take to the streets of Hong Kong every Chinese Year and last weekend was no exception as the crowds gathered to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Metal Tiger.

Only the weather refused to play along, with heavy rain the previous day causing temperatures to plummet sufficiently for everyone to don sweaters before hitting the great outdoors for the year's greatest party.

"It's Chinese New Year weather," said one local with a smile, "and the stinging wind blowing in from Victoria Harbour just adds to the fun." Ms Wong should know. Along with her family, she was camped out on the street in front of the Prada store on Canton Road, waiting like millions of other Hong Kong folk for the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade. This extravagant party has been organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) for the last 15 years with the airline as the main sponsor for the last 12.

"This is it," she exclaims. "We Chinese love the big bang and our family always gathers for the parade, Either we camp along the parade route to make sure we get a good view or we have to watch the live broadcast together at home, all of us, at the dinner table. The parade is not just for fun, though. Chinese people love the party. It's auspicious for the year to come."

This year, the Night Parade followed a new route through the popular Tsim Sha Tsui area, with 40 performing groups  18 of them making their debut at the parade  from 14 countries and regions snaking through the cheering crowds. The troupes started out from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre near the Star Ferry Pier on Kowloon and performed all the way to Haiphong and Nathan Roads before finishing at the New World Centre at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

With the Chinese New Year shifting each year according to the lunar cycle, this is the first time since 1953 that it overlapped with Valentine's Day. This "double happiness" won't happen again until 2048 and the streets of Hong Kong along the parade route were either closed down for the night with only key businesses like restaurants staying open to prepare for romantic dining later in the evening.

But the Night Parade is not all Hong Kong has to offer in terms of celebrating the New Year. Locals and tourists alike headed to vantage points in and around Victoria Harbour the next night for the much-anticipated firework display, when the sky was lit by 23,888 firing shells discharged over the auspicious timeframe of 23 minutes. Hong Kong people love the sound of 2, 3, and 8 as they stand for prosperity, easiness and glory. This year, the computer-controlled fire¬works were themed for the year of the tiger along with easygoing Chinese tunes.

The third day of the New Lunar Year dawned bright and, in line with tradition , with cooler hearts and heads. Believing that this day has high potential for personal clashes, many Chinese people opted for a trip to a temple or even to a shrine where they lit joss sticks, held them high and offered silent prayers.