Chinese community celebrates Year of the Rabbit at Bow Barracks
Lion dance and performance by Shining Star troupe to welcome the New Year
By
Nitin Waghela |
Published 23.01.23, 07:29 PM
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Siblings Mary Liu, Anthony Liu and Iris Liu enjoyed the lion dance performance at Bow Barracks on the occasion of the Chinese New Year. “We love Kolkata as the people here are extremely warm and live like one big family,” said Mary Liu, who owns New China Co. Dyers and Dry Cleaners along with Anthony. “We ring in our New Year with dragon dance while friends and family meet and greet each other. However, this year, the lion dance is taking place,” Anthony said
All images by Arnab Dutta/My Kolkata
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Kervin Sein, a resident of Bow Barracks, invited friends Andrea Mondal and Craig Gomes on January 22 to kick off the Chinese New Year celebrations in style. “Every year, we plan to visit Kervin. This time we finally made it,” said Andrea. Sharing his experience, Craig said, “The sheer enthusiasm of the dancing troupe makes you realise what the New Year means to the Chinese community.
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Ananya Ganguly, teacher at Loreto School in Dharmatala, was there with her daughter to celebrate the New Year with her Chinese students. “The festival is about good luck and prosperity. My mother prepares Chinese delicacies and offers the same at the altar inside the house,” said Ananya’s student, Elizabeth Chung, a Class X student
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The Shining Star troupe performed at Bow Barracks as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Roshan Chettri, a member of Shining Star, said, “The lion dance is a way of bringing good luck to people of the Chinese community.” The dance performances are like a road show in the areas where Chinese live. This year, it began from Tiretta Bazaar and ended at Bow Barracks. “On this occasion, dancers enter the houses of Chinese residents and pray in front of their altars. In return, they are given red packets containing cash,’ Chettri said
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Teng Zung Lee and Rebecca Sofie enjoy the view from their ground-floor balcony, while the Shining Star troupe entertains the crowd
