Places of worship in Bangkok’s Yaowarat Chinatown today welcomed Thai-Chinese people paying their respects to the gods ahead of the Lunar New Year today. To curb air pollution, these shrines are minimizing the burning of incense sticks and papers.
Kuan Yim Shrine of Thian Fa Foundation is asking all observers not to light up firecrackers and to minimize paper burning, with staff on-site to put off incense to reduce emission. Many people visiting this shrine today were cooperating well with the new regulation, with some opting to use smoke-free incense sticks. Many families engaged in simpler and more economical ceremonies to celebrate this year’s Lunar New Year, due to the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Phuket, many families and businesses were setting up worship tables outside their houses today, albeit in a smaller number than the previous years. Shops selling worship items said they had been affected by the pandemic for the past 2-3 years, as the number of customers and overall purchases were in decline.
According to the traditions of the Thai-Chinese community, today marks the end of the year according to their lunar calendar. Thai people of Chinese descent usually pay their respect at places of worship today to welcome the arrival of the God of Fortune Cai Shen for the Lunar New Year today. (NNT)
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