Phuket lights up with lanterns for annual Chinese New Year festival
The popular seaside resort of Phuket has been brightly lit up with lanterns, signalling the start of the Phuket Lantern Festival. This annual event is an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, with this year marking the Year of the Dragon.
Saroj Angkhanapilas, the Mayor of Phuket Town, inaugurated the festival on a Saturday night at the Chartered Bank intersection in Phuket Old Town. Saroj emphasised the importance of the Lantern Festival, also known as Yuan Xiao Jie, as a time for Chinese families to reunite, participate in various activities, and bring blessings of joy and happiness to their households.
“Yuan Xiao Jie serves as a cultural platform for families to come together, release lanterns, admire light decorations, and set off firecrackers.
“The festival’s longevity in local culture preserves the rich cultural heritage of the area while fostering a vibrant tourism image. It also has a positive impact on the economy, generating income for residents.”
In the spirit of the festival, Phuket City Municipality has initiated several activities under the banner Sweep the house to welcome Chinese New Year across Phuket Town. This is a time when Thai-Chinese residents of Phuket purchase items to decorate their homes, including red lanterns and blessings decorations, to invite good luck, longevity, prosperity, and happiness.
The inaugural night of the festival featured a spectacle of large illuminated characters at the Chartered Bank Intersection, accompanied by a gamut of festivities such as cultural dance performances. Earlier in the day, Mayor Saroj participated in a Chinese New Year celebration event at the Limelight shopping centre in Phuket Town, which was marked by the presence of dancing dragons.
The Phuket Lantern Festival, a cultural and colourful spectacle that offers a peek into the rich Thai-Chinese heritage, will carry on until February 24, reported Phuket News.
