Chinese communities in S Asia celebrate Year of the Rooster

Chinese communities across South Asia yesterday celebrated the first day of the Year of the Rooster with traditional dances and prayers, media across the region has reported.While the main celebrations got underway in China, huge crowds gathered for events across the region to share their wishes for an auspicious start to the Lunar New Year, Efe news reported.In Thailand, which boasts of hosting the biggest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of China, the Year of the Rooster was rung in on Friday night with a parade in the capital’s Lumpini Park, which saw some participants dressed in traditional Chinese costumes.“By putting in a touch of Thai-ness, we want to ensure that Thailand’s celebrations to mark the Chinese New Year 2017 will be unique and memorable for local and international tourists,” Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, told media persons in Bangkok.In Malaysia, hundreds of people gathered yesterday to watch a traditional Chinese Lion Dance being performed at Kuala Lumpur’s Thean Hou temple.New Year’s revellers were also seen visiting the temple with their families for prayers and posing for photos with decorative lanterns.