Chinese New Year Parade Kick-Starts Festive Hong Kong 2010

The Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade, which took place Sunday night [14 February 2010], marked the start of a year-long programme of celebrations in “Festive Hong Kong 2010”. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board,  the Parade featured a stunning array of 14 brightly illuminated floats, and 13 overseas and 13 local performing groups from 14 countries and regions, weaving their way along a new route in Tsim Sha Tsui. The energy was matched by the crowd’s excitement, with the cheers of visitors and residents ringing in the neon-lit streets, adorned with giant decorations symbolising the different major festivals in Hong Kong.

This year, the Parade followed a new route, which included Nathan Road for the first time. Using Festive Hong Kong 2010 as the theme, the spectacle comprised four major parts – spring, summer, autumn and winter – showcasing Hong Kong’s fusion of Chinese and Western festivities throughout the year. Giant decorations symbolising a number of important festivals in Hong Kong, such as the Chinese bun for the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, Santa for Christmas and pumpkins for Halloween, were installed along the parade route.

Before the Parade started, the HKTB arranged motivators to perform and play interactive games, as well as hand out cheering sticks to spectators along the route. Adding to the festive mood were Chinese sky lanterns and water lanterns, which were put up against the colourful backdrop of Tsim Sha Tsui’s neon signs.

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the Chinese New Year Parade organised by the HKTB. For the 12th consecutive year, Cathay Pacific Airways was the title sponsor, while American Express International, Inc. sponsored the Parade route for the third year running.

To sustain the excitement after the Parade, the HKTB has arranged a display of the floats, along with performances by the local and international performing groups in Tsim Sha Tsui, Shatin and Tai Po from the second to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.

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