Chinese New Year's Parade

Hello everyone! Colin and I went to the Night Parade held by the city for Chinese New Year. It was my first time over to the New Territories (aka mainland Hong Kong). We rode the metro over and then tried to find a good place to stand, which was harder than expected. We ended up choosing a location near to the start of the parade route, where most of the people were locals (and thankfully short) rather than tourist, who mostly seemed to be French (and tall).

Here's where we were on the parade route:


There were 13 floats, several marching bands, performances by groups from different countries and lots of little children dressed up as bunnies (adorable!).

So here it is:



Cathay Pacific had the first float. It came out about ten minutes before any of the other groups started along the track. Colin called it "The Pacing Float". Luckily as the night went on, the pace picked up.



Then this troupe of ballerinas danced through. So cute! The year of the rabbit has made for some adorable costumes.



The second float seemed to be sponsored by several jewelry and watch manufacturers.

Then...



... and ...





The third float was by the QTSA (Quality Tourism Services Association).



It had a cool looking rickshaw as the back of the float.

Then came Colin's favorite part of the parade:



The London School of Samba! They were even cool enough to be accompanied by their own marching band. v v



The next presentation was my favorite in the parade:



I loved the vibrant costumes and intricate displays. The children were sehr süß! I can't wait to take our trip to Thailand in March. :) This group had the best float and most elaborate costumes by far!


Well, folks, that is the first half of the parade. I'll post the rest soon. Don't forget to click on the pictures for a better look and leave us a comment or two!