W/W - Chinese Lunar Year

These pics were captured at the Taoist temple near my mom's nursing home.

The quintessential Lion Dance

Performed throughout the 15 days of the Chinese New Year, the lion dance signifies power, courage and good fortune

The green fruit you see in the pic is a pomelo (think Chinese grapefruit). The pomelo symbolizes abundance. During the dance, one of the lions 'swallowed' the fruit,then sprawled out on the floor and was motionless for a good few minutes. I thought it had fainted from the stiffling heat! What I didn't know was that the front performer inside the lion was carving the pomelo. Suddenly, the lion got up and threw out the pomelo, now sculpted with some Chinese characters, from its mouth. Sorry pallies, I couldn't take a pic of that. I almost fainted myself amid the oppressive heat, haze, pounding drums and jostling crowd!



The lion dance is accompanied by the beating of drums, cymbals, and gongs that synchronise to the movements and actions.

The haze from the smoking joss sticks/coils and firecrackers

Devotees praying with joss sticks

Giant joss sticks (an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations) outside the temple



Joss coils - This type of incense is able to burn for an extended period, from hours to days