A grand lion and dragon dance by two dozen amateur groups of Myanmar-Chinese kicked off the Chinese new year celebration in the country's former capital of Yangon Wednesday afternoon, the eve of Year of Sheep.

With large traditional drums beating and colorful festive flags flying, the round-the-Chinatown procession began from the heart of Chinatown attracting thousands of watchers.

As in previous years, the marchers paid homage to the Chinatown Guangdong Guanyin (God of Mercy) Temple and Fujian Qingfu Gong Temple with on-the-spot brief performance as they passed by.

The two ancient temples of over a century represent the two largest Chinese temples in the Yangon Chinatown.

As it passed noon, traffic on the main road in the Chinatown, which had partially blocked for three days by temporary roadside stalls for selling new year goods, returned to normal, paving the way for the procession to take place.

During the new year eve, family members used to come back home from wherever they are for having reunion meal together.

Families of Chinese residents prepared their meal rich with meat, especially pork, chicken and duck, wine and beverages, and had their meal deliciously after paying worship to their ancestors.

Myanmar-Chinese families used to erect the signboard of their ancestors on the wall of their apartments for worship, burning sticks and paper-money of gold and silver and offering liquor and a variety of food with their worship to pay respects to their ancestors according to traditional customs inherited from their ancestors.

Following their parents, children are prepared for new year call on relatives and close friends on Thursday, the 1st day of the new year, wearing colorful new clothing. Children are naturally joyful and encouraged as they will be offered by elders red-envelop "Hongbao" as pocket money for use for whatever they want.

Some family members are also prepared to spend the night of the new year eve by staying up late or all night at home or at temples to observe the moment of changing to the Year of Sheep from the Year of Horse.

A series of lion dance competitions, involving the 24 amateur lion dancing groups, are to take place in Chinatown and the contests will start running from Friday for three consecutive nights until Sunday and a prize presentation ceremony for prizes winning lion dancing groups will be held as a follow-up.

Several other lion and dragon dance groups are also preparing to launch performances at some Chinese temples, international schools, famous parks and private companies respectively on invitation starting the first day of new year.

For the past week when the lunar new year was drawing near, the Myanmar-Chinese community launched traditional charity activities with several social and religious organizations respectively distributing cash aid to poor, old people above 75 years of age with no children to care for them.

Other local Chinese cultural associations are also due to launch their biggest cultural shows on the new year days as annual festive get-together. Endite

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