Chinese consulate welcomes Lunar New Year

Chinese Consul and Head of Post to Laoag Mr. Zhou Youbin and wife Mrs. Li Jia pose with The Ilocos Times’ Jay Ramos, Herdy Yumul and Mitch T. Esmino. During the Chinese Spring Festival celebration at the Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel. (Contributed photo)

By Bernardo B. Ver II

Contributor

LAOAG CITY—To mark the Chinese New Year celebrations, Chinese Consul and Head of Post to Laoag Mr. Zhou Youbin and wife Mrs. Li Jia hosted on January 19, 2020 the Spring Festival dinner at the Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel with over 300 guests representing key sectors from the Philippine Northern provinces in attendance.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, is the most important holiday in China. Two features distinguish it from the other festivals; it sees off the old year and greets the new; it is also the time for families to be reunited.

Among the notable guests were former Ilocos Governor and current Narvacan Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson, Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua, Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Marcos-Araneta, and Laoag City Vice Mayor Vicentito M. Lazo. Officers of Filipino-Chinese chambers of commerce, academic institutions, and civic organizations from Northern Luzon made up most of the attendees. The Ilocos Times, the only media organization seen in the event, was represented by editor-in-chief Primo Jay S. Ramos, managing editor Michael T. Esmino, and sociopolitical columnist Herdy L. Yumul.

In his message, Consul Zhou stressed the significance of celebrating the Chinese Spring Festival among the Filipinos and Chinese which meant sharing each other's culture and tradition and working for peace and harmony. He wished everyone a prosperous Chinese Lunar New Year full of health, happiness and family.

On a somber note, the consul also extended his sympathies to the victims of the Taal volcano explosion, and promised continued help. It could be recalled that whenever disaster strikes Ilocos Norte, the Chinese Consulate is always among the first to lend a hand.

Students from Mariano Marcos State University, St. Santiago Chinese School, and the La Union Cultural Institute put on an array of colorful performances, including a lion dance, Chinese martial arts, traditional Filipino dances and songs.

There were also games like “Guess the Chinese Idiom” and “Laying Golden Eggs.” 

Decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, the reception proceeded in a warm and happy atmosphere. Guests spoke of the great achievements in economy and social development of China, praised its increasing overall national strength, and noted its enviable stature as a global superpower.

In his short but vibrant speech, Mr. Singson noted in jest that, “God created the world in seven days, the rest was made by China.”

For Filipino guests, attending this function widened their knowledge of China, especially its festival traditions. Local Filipino-Chinese, for their part, happily enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with their roots through the Spring Festival. The Chinese New Year, which falls on January 25, 2020 this year, is a special non-working holiday in the Philippines.