Kolkata ushers in Chinese New Year with music and dragon dance
Times of India | 11 February 2024
KOLKATA: The Chinese community in the city celebrated the New Year on Saturday along with members of other communities in Tangra and Tiretta Bazar area, the two Chinatowns in the city.
While some participated in the dragon dance others helped set up red lanterns. Many even set up food stalls in both the Chinatowns. This has also helped the community to make arrangements efficiently and involve more people in the celebrations as there are very few Chinese families left in the city.
The number of Chinese in the city was over one lakh even three years ago which has now come down to only a few thousands due to migration to Canada, USA, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.
“The Chinese community in the city is very well blended with other communities and we participate in each other’s festivals throughout the year. Local non-Chinese people have become an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Many even participate in the dragon dance as only few Chinese people are left in the city,” said Janice Lee, a Chinese entrepreneur.
Achhipur in South 24 Parganas is where Tong Achew, the first Chinese, is believed to have arrived in the early 18th century. Over the years, the Chinese people have integrated themselves into the local fabric while retaining their cultural identity.
The two Chinatowns have been decorated in symbolic colours and figurines with many families organizing dragon dances by different groups. “Almost half the participants are non-Chinese as most of the youths have migrated. But the participation of our non-Chinese friends has never let us feel the absence during festivals,” said Josephine Chu, a resident of Tangra. Vinod Kumar Shaw, who sells flowers in the Tiretta Market area near Poddar Court, has been participating in the dragon dance since childhood.