Chinese New Year festivities beckon

THE largest fresh flower market in the city at 20,000sqm opened at the Sports Centre in Xin Xiangzhou last week. Others are located at Sibo International Home Deco Plaza in Qianshan, Wanliu Road in Xiawan, Gongbei, and Jida Theatre.

Flower categories include clivia minata, cymbidium hybridium, moth orchid, Chinese flowering apple, China rose, lily, chrysanthemum and so on. Prices range from 20 yuan ($2.76) to 8,000 yuan ($1,103), 20 to 30 per cent higher than last year. Tangerine trees are the most popular because their name, “Jili,” sounds like “auspicious” in Chinese.

Besides, small and medium-sized flower markets selling daffodils, roses, chrysanthemums, orchids, carnations, lilies, salix branches, peach trees, and many other selections are open outside all local farm produce markets such as Chaoyang Market on Xiangbu Road, Xiangzhou; Nankeng Market on Zijing Road, Xiangzhou; Jilian Market on Jiuzhou Avenue, Jida; and Gongbei Market on Lianhua Road, Gongbei.

A tangerine tree in the sitting room with surrounding pots of chrysanthemums, azaleas or peonies is a common scene in homes during Spring Festival. Migrant families follow suit. Moreover, floral arrangements with one or two basic salix branches and mainly roses, chrysanthemums or blended flowers are made by almost every woman before New Year’s Eve. When the buying spree is over, the sellers smash the pots before they go home for their own family reunions. Some buyers get a very good deal at this time.

The New Year shopping rush has crowded Vanguard stores in Gongbei and Xiangzhou, Jusco, Carrefour and other shopping centres, department stores and supermarkets. The peak might arrive today and tomorrow. A New Year Purchase Street has been set aside with shelves of various New Year goods. Well-packed baskets with candy, fruit, wine, cigarettes or dried food priced between 298 yuan ($41.10) and 998 yuan ($137.66) are among the best sellers, a manager at Vanguard said.

Apart from food, New Year decorations including spring couplets, Chinese knots, red lanterns of various sizes, red artificial firecrackers and the Chinese character “Fu” -- fortune -- ranged from 2 to 30 yuan, are also popular with shoppers.

Snow Land, a 400sqm area in Bailiandong Park, Jida, creates a snow and ice world in South China. Six snowmakers work to produce drifting snows. Featuring northeastern residence and courtyard, the land provides a venue where people can have a snowball fight, make a snowman and enjoy fine snow scenes.

Haibin, Jingshan, Xiangshan, Banzhang Mountain, Paotai Mountain, Shihua Hill and Yeli Island parks are decorated with 3,000 Chinese red lanterns, thousands of colourful flags, 126,000 pots of flowers and hundreds of Chinese knots. Landscape structures of a Golden Mouse, Zhuhai Aircraft Carrier, A Salute to the Spring and Flower Path Along the Lake have been built in Haibin Park. Three large structures -- Friendlies Delivering Fortune, Friendlies Meeting the Spring and Lantern Tree -- are ready in Jingshan Park and other landscape scenes have been created at Xiangshan and Banzhang Mountain parks.

On the first three days of the first month of the Lunar New Year, the Lishan Lion Dance Women Branch from Qianwu Town, Doumen District, will perform at Bailiandong Park. Meanwhile, a car and motorcycle race show on 8m-high iron enclosure performed by an acrobatic team in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province, will be on display everyday during Spring Festival.

The Zhuhai Sunflower Art Troupe, an art amateur group encompassing 50 members, will stage song-and-dance shows at the park.

In addition, the Weifang Kite Art Festival, along with introduction of kite culture and historical evolution and exhibition of 50 large art kites and 2,000 small kites, will be held in the park. Four 50m-long kites and four Olympic-themed and two Mouse-Year-themed kites will fly high. Visitors can also fly kites on a lawn of Liyu Hill in the park.

Lion dances will be staged on the well-decorated Bar Street, Gongbei, on the evening of the second day of this lunar month, according to He Jie, marketing manager of the Bar Street Management Co Ltd.

A temple fair and a Gong & Drum Cultural Festival during which Cantonese, Henan, Pu Opera and Ping operas will be staged daily will open on the first of the first lunar month and will last through the sixth. Kung Fu, acrobatics, upper-air stunt shows, northeastern Yangge performances, changing face masks, Northern China Piaose procession, and Awe-Inspiring Gong and Drum, Liuyang Flower Drum and Guangxi Long Drum dances will also be presented. Visitors can also play traditional games such as hoop bowling, top spinning and elastic band skipping to recall their childhoods.

A New Year’s comedy starring famous actor Wei Zi and actress Chan Chong Ling and featuring the imperial family, an acrobatics show having won a gold metal in France, a shadow puppet show, dances on tray and drum and a royal temple fair will be staged at New Yuanming Palace between February 7 and 11, the first five days of the first month of the lunar New Year.

(ZD News)