Chinese Customs
Chinese New Year
A traditional Chinese
dragon winds its way through the streets of Turfan in the Xinjiang. New Year is celebrated with great enthusiasm in London’s Soho –one of the centres of the Chinese –speaking community in Britain.
These colourful floats
form part of the Singapore annual Chin gay parade. Lanterns of all imaginable
shapes and sizes are displayed.
People worship at Temple
and bring offerings to the gods whilst lighting incense for Chinese New Year.
They hope that their offerings and prayers will ensure harmony with the gods
and bring good fortune in the coming year
Stilt walking is a favourite entertainment at New Year.
There are many different types of stilt displays, some highly energetic, some,
like these stilt walkers, calm and beautiful. The name, Yangge or seedling
song, come from the songs song by peasants planting rice seedlings. These
performers from the Heilongjiang province, china, dress up as characters from traditional
stories.
Ghost Festival
Some Chinese people believe that in the seventh lunar month, the giant gates of the underworld open. Ghosts who have been trapped are released to visit the living. The night before the rituals, lanterns are lit in the temples and released on the water, so the ghosts can be guided to the ceremonies. People prepare offering of food for the hungry ghosts, and burn paper money for them to take back to the underworld.
The dragon boat festival
The dragon boat festival is a 2000 year old tradition. The now occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional lunar calendar.
Family Life