CHIANG MAI, Jan 23 — Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai on Monday opened its 10th Chiang Mai Chinatown Chinese New Year Festival 2012 at Waroros Market area in the heart of the city.
Chiang Mai Mayor Tassanai Buranupakorn and Chinese Consul-General in Chiang Mai Zhu Weimin jointly presided over the opening ceremony to launch the festive event with an almost one kilometre long procession.
The festival is intended to celebrate the New Year and to preserve the inheritance of Thai-Chinese traditions and to spur the tourism industry and help stimulate the economy of Chiang Mai.
During the Chiang Mai Chinatown Chinese New Year Festival, the public is enjoying a musical performance by the Chinese National Opera coming directly from Beijing to celebrate the new year with the Thai people.
Moreover festivalgoers could witness the 60-metre long Golden Dragon Dance, one of the longest dragon dance processions in Thailand, and a Lion Dance from several Chinese provinces with a variety of cultural processions.
It was expected that more than Bt100 million would be in daily circulation during the two-day festival that ends Tuesday.
