16th Chinatown Festival Kicks Off in Chiang Mai City

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CHIANG MAI – The 16th Chiang Mai Chinatown Festival was kicked off in Mueang district on Friday with shows highlighting culture of the Chinese community of the northern city.

Many tourists from China and Thailand attended the opening ceremony, held at 10:10am at the main grounds in front of Waroros Market on Wichayanon Road.

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The opening ceremony started after VIP guests and local Chinese descendants joined a 9am parade featuring a traditional Chinese lion dance from the Tha Pae gate to the ceremony grounds.

The shows include dancing lions and dragons, Chinese opera and other activities that reflected the culture of the Chinese community. Highlights included a Chinese dance troupe from Hainan and a Chinese opera puppet-show from Fujian. There was also a Miss Chinatown beauty contest.

Food stalls highlighted Chiang Mai’s popular Chinese restaurants.

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Several agencies cooperated to help with organising the festival, including the Chiang Mai provincial administration, the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation, the Chiang Mai Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Sino-Thai Business Association, and the Thai Chinese Descendants in Chiang Mai Association.

The opening ceremony was co-chaired by Chiang Mai governor Pawin Chamniprasart, Chiang Mai mayor Thassanai Buranupakorn and Chinese Consul-General for Chiang Mai Ren Yisheng.

The festival is scheduled to continue on Saturday.

Source: The Nation