Happy Chinese New Year!

I love Chinese New Year and what a treat it was to finally experience it in China. I have celebrated in Chicago, NYC, Phoenix, South Korea and the Philippines, but I have to say China was the most spectacular. I feel so lucky to be living in China during the year of the dragon!

Unfortunately I missed the parade, fireworks and horse race in Hong Kong due to rain but enjoyed plenty of fireworks from my balcony. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I live on the 10th floor, surrounded by hi-rises in a city of 20 million and watched countless rooftop firework displays. It was totally surreal. Roman candles blasting off balconies, so close, like fiery ping pong balls racing towards me. Glittery explosions illuminating the neighborhood, reflections of prosperity and good fortune on slick facades. The sound of an entire city launching fireworks ricocheting and echoing through the deep canyons of the city. The sound. The sound was so robust, teetering between celebration and battlefront.

At one point I was skyping with my sister. I wanted her to hear the absolute insanity that started 6 hours earlier. I counted 8 different shows going on at the same time. She kept saying ‘take a video, take a video.’ If only I had started my video a few minutes earlier… in all of the excitement I couldn’t find my camera and was fumbling when I did. So enjoy the tail end of 8 rooftop firework shows, going on at the same time in my neighborhood:

Chinese New Year is largest human migratory movement in the world. Families leave the city and go back to the villages where they are from. This collection of photographs from The Big Picture is amazing.

Fireworks. Dragons. Lions. Flower markets. Red lanterns. Red envelops filled with money! Kumquat trees. Paper cut window decorations. Banners hung over and next to the door. Whole fish and dumplings. It’s such a beautiful holiday.