Chinese New Year 2014

        In celebration to the Chinese New Year, January 31, 2014 has been declared as a special non-working holiday. Since it is a work-free day, my family and I decided to celebrate new year with the Chinese community in Binondo ... where we ended up in Lucky Chinatown, the newest mall within the vicinity of Divisoria...

        Lucky Chinatown Mall is composed of two buildings. The Main and the Annex. Outside between this two mall buildings is their Lucky Chinatown Walk where we one can find food stalls with good food and affordable price range.

        Another attraction at the Lucky Chinatown Walk is the 10 Lucky Rituals at Lucky Chinatown. Since we went there to celebrate new year the Chinese Way, we followed some of the rituals listed. Hoping we would some luck for this year - 2014. :)

The 10 Lucky Rituals in Lucky Chinatown

       First among the rituals is to light an incense at the Miao De Amituofu Pureland. A Buddha was placed resting on top of a mini stage filled with fruits and flowers. People with lightened incense fell in line and take turns to be able to say their wishes and leave the incense in front of the Buddha. We were also instructed on what to say as we ask for our wishes and with the proper way of holding an incense.

The Golden Buddha

My Mom and Grandmother quietly saying their wishes

        Next is to toss a coin at the Prosperity Tree. It is said the tossing a coin to the tree, will make one prosper and have good fortune.

The Prosperity Tree

The Prosperity Tree being guarded by Golden Horses

        Third is to offer fruits to the Dragon Tortoise at the Prosperity Garden which may bring good fortune for one's career and business. And then, Ring the Good Luck Gong to help calm the mind and relax the soul... to find inner peace and luck.

My Mom with the Gong

        Fifth is to rub the Maneki Neko Cat which often placed in front of a store to bring good luck to the owner. We've been looking for this figure along the Walk but we didn't find any. Until we went in to one of the Feng Shui stores and saw the cat figure and immediately rubbed the Maneki Neko Cat. Next is to write down a wish at the wishing wall. With an ema board, we wrote our wishes for 2014.

The Wishing Wall filled with wishes written on an Ema board

        Seventh is to buy good luck charms. My mom bought me a lucky charm for those who were born on the year of the Dragon. Eight is to Pick a Lucky Ang Pao only if we were able to purchase a 2000php worth of items from the mall. Then treat oneself to lucky foods with lucky plates in Lucky Chinatown of course. Last is to Complete the Year of the Horse Mural in Lucky Chinatown with a chopstick.

The Lucky charm, which also serves as protection, for those born on the year of the Dragon.

        Since it was my first time in Lucky Chinatown, I'm glad I went there during their celebration of the Chinese New Year. I am not a Chinese but I enjoyed following their their rituals. Although we, Filipinos, had adapted the Chinese culture here in the Philippines, it was a good thing that the establishment put up something like that so that Filipinos can somehow understand and relate with the Chinese community even more.

Chinese Lantern above the Lucky Chinatown Walk

The Lucky Chinatown and above The Lucky Chinatown Walk

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy Chinese New Year! :)