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Why You Should Travel To Hong Kong For The New Year's Parade

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The New Year's parade in Hong Kong is an event not to be missed!The city is dressed up with bright decorations and colorfullights for its biggest celebration of the year, and thousandspour into Hong Kong to take part in the festivities. Winding along Hong Kong's picturesque waterfront, the New Year'sparade is filled with colorful, lavishly decorated floats.Representatives from Hong Kong and countries all over the worldsing, dance and play music. The songs of marching bands fill theair along the parade's route as performers in bright costumesprance along the streets. The forthcoming year (2006) is the Year of the Dog. No matterwhich zodiac animal is being celebrated for the coming year,there are always plenty of lions and dragons in the parade.Energetic dancers wearing giant lion heads leap in the air aslong dragons held aloft by more than twenty people snake pastthe enthralled parade watchers. The New Year's parade is the biggest event of Hong Kong's LunarNew Year celebration. Close to 300,000 people attend the paradeand millions more watch it on television. In recent years theparade has taken place in the evening, featuring vivid, dazzlinglight displays. The Lunar New Year is one of Hong Kong's most important andwell-loved holidays. Each year one of twelve different animalsis celebrated, according to the Chinese zodiac. Many of thecity's towering skyscrapers are decked out in glittering lightsfor the holiday. Throughout the three-day celebration, dancersin


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colorful costumes perform lion and dragon dances in thestreets, malls and hotel lobbies. Traditionally, people exchangesmall, red envelopes filled with money as gifts. Flower marketsshow up all over the city during the holiday, selling plants andflowers with special significance, and stores and restaurantsdisplay flowers meant to bring immortality and good luck. The New Year celebration usually begins anywhere from January 21to February 19, depending on the year. While the holidayofficially lasts fifteen days, in Hong Kong it is celebrated forthree days, with the New Year's parade taking place on the firstday. January 29, 2006 is the first day of the forthcoming newyear. The day after the New Year's parade a brilliant display offireworks lights up Hong Kong's famous Victoria Harbour. Thefireworks can be viewed from the waterfront or from boatscruising the harbour. On the third day of the celebration alarge horse race takes place at the Sha Tin racetrack. Thislively race is a favorite for gamblers and horseracingenthusiasts. It's no wonder why so many travel to discover all that Hong Konghas to offer, with the vibrant fusion of ancient customs andmodern day fun at one of the world's biggest Chinese New Yearcelebrations. About the author: John Riggin is Executive Editor for www.SeeYouInAsia.com, thelargest and most comprehensive US to Asia travel website.Where you'll discover the best deals on flights, tours, hotels,cruises and more to welcome in the Chinese New Year.

Written by: John Riggin

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