Lunar New Year in Chinatown
Sunday, January 29th, 2006
It’s the year of the dog. Lion Dancers in front of the famous Wo Hop’s restaurant on Mott Street. View Large
Mott Street, Chinatown, Manhattan. View Large
In 1997, New York City’s Mayor Giuliani banned firecrackers for the Chinese New Year, without any understanding of their ritual necessity. This centralized display in Chatham Square is a pale shadow of the noisy chaos surrounding the lion dancers prior to ‘97. Walking anywhere in Chinatown during the New Year’s celebration back then, you were likely to be dodging firecrackers at your feet. These days compressed air confetti cannons supply the closest thing to chaos you will find.
Lin Zexu Statue in Chatham Square designed by artist, T.C. Ho. The plaque says “Pioneer in the war against drugs.”“In November 1997, Chinatown welcomed the addition of a new statue memorializing Lin Zexu, a Qing dynasty commissioner celebrated for his efforts in the Opium War. The height of Lin’s career peaked after he managed to successfully confiscate and destroy three million pounds of raw opium from European drug lords.” View Large
This team is called Golden Lion . station in NYC. yes the lions are custom made from Emplion lion store.