Chiang Mai celebrates dragon year with festival Monday

Chiang Mai on Monday launched the 10th Chiang Mai Chinatown Chinese New Year Festival 2012 at Waroros Market area in the heart of the city.

Chiang Mai Mayor Tassanai Buranupakorn and Chinese Consul-General in Chiang Mai, Zhu Weimin jointly presided over the opening ceremony of the festive event, which featured a procession almost one-kilometre long.

The festival celebrates the New Year and aims to preserve Thai-Chinese traditions as well as boost the tourism industry and stimulate the local economy.

During the festival, the public will enjoy a musical performance by the Chinese National Opera from Beijing, a 60-metre long Golden Dragon Dance, one of the longest dragon dance processions in Thailand, and Lion Dances from several Chinese provinces with a variety of cultural processions.

More than Bt100 million is expected to be spent during the two-day event.