The 12th annual festival in the Chinatown sector of Port Louis was held for two days and it was well worth attending. I had been promised that several live Chinese Lions would be attending. Pictures say 1,000 words and here they are!
The crowds were huge, enticed by the street food, chinese lanterns, live entertainment and music. Now where is that lion? In the Mane Road perhaps?
This Line Dancing group had come over with their cowboy hats from Reunion Island, 40 miles away. Quite bizarre to see them dancing to authentic Chinese music rather than Achy Breaky Heart! Now where is the Lion Dancing!
Here he is!
This was the first Chinese lion I saw, definitely the most animated, a sort of cross between Rod Hull’s Emu and Animal from the Muppets but bigger and yes, my head did fit in his mouth.
These guys drummed and clashed cymbals for hours
Not all the entertainment on offer drew the crowds. This band was really good too!
The crowd were enthralled by the Magician and his card tricks ably assisted by his two young volunteers: translations supplied by the cheeky female clown below.
She had been encouraging the crowd to go and watch the 7:00pm magic show,
“Hey, you’re English! Will you come and watch?” she shouted over the crowd at me.
“Yes, of course,” I promised!
“A man keeping to a promise; I will believe it when I see it!”
“It will be magic if I do,” I replied.
Anything and everything was being sold on the streets. No opportunity missed to sell to a packed crowd!
It was so busy in places you just could not move. That was not bad at all because you could soak in the atmosphere and smell the food too!
The aroma of barbecued pork and duck made me feel ravenous.
Including this one as all the food had made me thirsty.
He had another 800 chickens in his checked bag but the Father Christmas dolls in his black bag were not selling well.
It was so crowded, you couldn’t move at times in the main street. You never knew who you would bump into, even a panda with a balloon.
It would not be a Chinese festival without an inflatable dragon, now would it? This one was safely inflated in a quiet side street and reminded more of a Welsh dragon than a Chinese one.
Even mice were on sale! (You just have to go to a field to get one for free!)
No Norwegian Blues on sale, they are too rare, of course, beautiful plumage. These colourful birds are also being advertised on Twitter
Mutant Ninja Turtles taking it easy and waxing lyrical about life.
Also extraordinary how a shop that can sell general groceries can also suddenly sell handbags when there is late night shopping going on.
This ice cream vendor on a bicycle took the torch off his forehead so I could take a photograph!
Every table taken for dinner in one of the many Chinese restaurants open. Fortunately, there was a free table in this one!
Having really enjoyed the evening, I set off home and just outside Chinatown I almost fell over all the street traders selling all sorts of things to passers by.
T shirts for sale. Any size you can find!
This was a really happy festival, lots of fun, food and festivities celebrating Chinatown, the local community and its heritage. “Zhùhè!”
I look forward to next year.
Great review! Pleased all continues to go well. Best Wishes. Sue and Ken
I am glad you enjoyed it, maybe it reminded you of Hong Kong!