Whilst in Saigon the city was preparing itself for Tết, (the lunar new year), erecting illuminated flowers over some of the central roads, or bedecking the columns of shopping malls with peony patterned wallcoverings
or completely covering a capitalist institution with a communistic colour
or having photographs taken in front of the French colonial style city hall, with a statue of Uncle Ho with a youngster on his knee
and real life youngsters being rewarded for their endeavours with an ice cream.
The snake is on its way, replacing the gnarly dragon. Thailand has many of Chinese origin, so it is a huge celebration here, (not to be confused with the new year on the first of January, or the Thai new year in mid-April). But as it's more open for business as usual here, it is a popular destination for those in the Chinese dominated region, and we alone have friends from Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam visiting.
12 comments:
I have never been to the Far East. I always wanted to go there. I was supposed to go to Cambodia when I first started Humanitarian Mine Clearance but somehow ended up in Moçambique.
One day...
I like the look of those red planters that line the route to the colonial building. I could put them to good use here.
Once again, I wish you a happy, new year (by my count, you're observing at least three)!
Happy Chinese New Year. It is nice to see the decorations in Thailand, which are both pretty and original. I have been a little disappointed with the efforts in Taipei, which so far seem to involve putting up Christmas-type lights, which I firmly believe should be limited to the month of December.
Hippo - you should try and make it one day - quite different from your part of the world. Cambodia is redeveloping well, after years of the most ghastly things imaginable - Khmer Rouge and the casulty of the Vietnam war. I've only been to Siem Reap to visit the great temples of Angkor.
Mark - those planters would be rather difficult to move, but I'll have them sent over.
Yes, this is the second of three new years.
Parnassus - Gong Xi Fa Cai 恭禧發財 !
These photos are (confusingly) from our trip to Saigon. Not many decorations here in Bangkok, but I dare say if I wondered down to Chinatown it would be a different story.
Still, plenty of firecrackers clattering away this morning.
The women seem so serene in their long dresses
The "ao dai" are indeed pretty and flattering.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I miss Vietnam and Asia, I have not been in 3 years...a long time.
Hi, Columnist - Happy Chinese New Year!! We went to dim sum today, and boy, was that a mistake. Talk about a crowd!!! But in the end we had our share of pastries, sticky rice, shu-meis and turnip cake!!!
Cheers from DC,
Loi
Francine - I'm sure you'll be back soon. It's pointless to resist the allure!
Loi - yes, that would indeed have been a mistake. I think a lot would be closed here, so it wouldn't be an option. And for the next few days. Anyway, I hope the snake brings you good fortune.
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