Nowhere are Chinese communities more flourishing than in the larger cities of South East Asia, where many have lived for centuries. With Chinese New Year fast approaching, you might like to consider celebrating this unique festival in a colorful way in one of these destinations. The entire festival lasts for 15-days, but major celebration days and event dates vary from country to country. In 2005, the official New Year's Day of the Year of the Rooster is February 9. In the Chinese calendar it will be the year 4702.
Thailand
If you've never been to Bangkok, or even if you're a regular visitor, Chinese New Year will provide a spectacular backdrop to this magical and vibrant city. Thailand's Chinese community calls the Yaowarat area of Bangkok home, and their annual fair to bring in the New Year is spectacular and entertaining. Thailand's Chinese population is so large (around six million or 10% of the country's population) that the entire city seems to focus on the New Year celebrations. For three days (February 9-11, 2005) Chinatown is filled with an international crowd eating and dancing their way along Yaowarat and Charon Krung Roads. The entire area comes alive with Chinese music, lion dancing, local Chinese cultural performances, Chinese opera and fireworks, as well as a multitude of stores selling special New Year products.
Of course food plays a major role so you can indulge in the very best of Chinese cuisine at all hours of the day and night. For the tourist, the area features Wat Traimit (on Tri Mit Road), which houses the world's largest solid gold Buddha, the crocodiles of Wat Chakrawat (off Anawong Road) and Nakhon Kasem Thieves' Market, where you can buy just about everything you never knew you needed. Although these three days are public holidays, don't worry -- the shops are open and Bangkok is a retail paradise with bountiful selections and amazingly cheap prices for everything from designer fashion to Asian handicrafts.
You couldn't ask for a cheaper Bangkok package than the $699 plus tax offer from Go-Today (tel. 425/487-9632; www.go-today.com). This super-low price, available during the Chinese New Year season includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, airport transfers, five nights accommodation at the centrally located Manhattan Hotel, hotel taxes and service charges, daily breakfast and a city and temples tour. Usually the airfare alone would cost you this much. This deal is valid for departures from January 13 to March 31, 2005 but you must book by December 28, 2004. Add $80 from Seattle, $160 from New York and $250 from Chicago. Other departure cities are available for additional cost.
For the best of two fantastic Chinese New Year destinations, Gate 1 Travel (tel. 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com) has a perfect Hong Kong / Bangkok six-night package departing from Los Angeles on February 6, 2005. This will give you the first day of the New Year in Hong Kong and the remainder in Bangkok. Priced at $839 plus tax, the deal includes round-trip airfare on China Airlines, three nights accommodation in each city, airport transfers and daily breakfast.
If you're just after the airfare, Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) has a $602 plus tax round-trip fare on China Airlines in February 2005. For a few dollars more ($627), you can fly Eva Airways or Japan Airlines ($633).
Indonesia
It has only been two years since the Indonesian government announced that Chinese New Year would be a national holiday -- finally a recognition of the magnitude and importance of the Chinese community in this country. In fact prior to 1997, the largely discriminatory government there made any displays of Chinese New Year decorations or public celebrations illegal. Known locally as Imlek, the New Year celebrations incorporate customs, beliefs and practices brought to Indonesia by Chinese immigrants who still follow the practices handed down from their ancestors.
With public acceptance, the Chinese communities in places like Bali, now feel more comfortable to celebrate their festival with Barongsai (dragon dances), temple celebrations, public fortune-telling and burning of incense. Ornate floral displays are widely given as gifts and are displayed outside homes. One of the most colorful expressions of the season is the traditional lantern festival, which takes place on the 15th day of the New Year. Streets and houses are decorated with thousands of red paper lanterns, each containing a riddle that must be answered by visitors. A successful answer is rewarded with a triumphant drumbeat.
Ever-reliable Go-Today (tel. 425/487-9632; www.go-today.com) has a Bali package available from January 5 to March 31, 2005. It includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, seven-nights accommodation at the centrally located Oasis Kuta Hotel, airport transfers, daily breakfast, half-day sunset tour, full-day Northern Bali tour and half-day Oleh Oleh tour. Priced at $939 plus taxes, add $460 for departures from New York and $300 from Chicago. A $25 tourist visa must be purchased at the airport on arrival in Indonesia plus a $10 departure tax fee applies. Please note that taxes on this route may be as high as $180 plus a fuel surcharge of up to $100 may apply.
Travelocity currently has the cheapest airfares to Bali, with prices starting at $765 plus taxes on Japan Airlines out of Los Angeles. Valid for departures from now until April 30, 2005 with certain blackout periods.
Malaysia
Despite the fact that they are illegal, the sound of firecrackers will ring out loudly at midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve throughout Malaysia. A quarter of the country's population is Chinese in origin so the festival is widely celebrated, especially in cities like Penang where 15 full days of festivities take place.
The Hokkien, the largest of the Malaysian Chinese communities (and the culinary geniuses who created the most delicious of Chinese cuisine), celebrate Chap Goh Meh, the final day of the festival with the annual New Year Chingay parade creating a highly festive atmosphere with stilt walkers, lion and dragon dances, acrobats, and dozens of decorated floats taking to the streets with the sounds of cymbals and beating of gongs and drums. This day is also recognized as a Chinese version of Valentine's Day so if you see thousands of mandarin oranges being thrown into the river you will know that unmarried women do so to snare a husband.
Unfortunately due to the high concentration of Chinese residents, most shops close for at least two days during the New Year festivities in Penang, so you may wish to combine a visit to Penang with a shopping adventure in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Penang is just an hour's flight from Kuala Lumpur or three hours' drive by bus. Cheap domestic air tickets can be bought through Air Asia (www.airasia.com) and cost as little as $50 round-trip, about the same as the bus fare. Strangely the Air Asia website doesn't list Kuala Lumpur as a departure city but uses it's airport abbreviated name instead -- KLIA. Avoid traveling by train that could take up to ten hours with constant stops.
Malaysia makes an excellent stepping off point for other destinations in South East Asia and Kuala Lumpur is a fun stopover city at any time of the year. Round-trip flights to Kuala Lumpur from the US (Los Angeles) through Travelocity range from $702 to $765 plus taxes from now until April 30, 2005, depending on the airline.
"Kung Hei Fat Choi" -- Wishing you a prosperous new year!