Chinese New Year's Eve

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday, me and my family went to Binondo to experience the Chinese New Year even if we are not one.

We walked in the streets along with the crowd with no idea where we are going. The place is not much crowded, or it is not what I was just expecting it to be, or maybe going there at 5pm was too early.

Along the Ongpin street is where we walked and experienced some Chinese traditions.



Street is full of vendors who sells different *pampaswerte* to use in welcoming their new year.

There were these Dalandan's hooked into a wire circling a small pineapple in the middle with angpao, a Gabi (taro as they call it in English) with a ribbon tied on it and Palay (cereal grain) with a red ribbon bind as well are believed to be for "Good Luck".

On one of the streets along, we found this small holy place wherein people lit incense and candles on the side.

As the night falls, crowd was getting bigger. So we opted to go back and stop by Eng Bee Tin first before we go to Lucky Chinatown Mall.

Snake shaped balloons are all over Chinatown to celebrate the Year of the Water Snake!

There were so many Eng Bee Tin stores located on Chinatown but still, all of them are crowded! Good thing, there is this one store which is kind of far from the center so it was not getting as much customers as the others.

After buying some Hopia, Tikoy and Mochi, we headed to Lucky Chinatown Mall to check out their activities.

There was this strip of tents wherein small Chinese activities are held. Some of them are a booth where they can play Chinese Chess, Draw some Chinese figures and more.

And yes! we will not let the day pass without totally embracing their culture, by eating CHINESE FOOD! :))

Had our dinner at Emerald Garden situated along Roxas Blvd. Good thing there is this restaurant as we were really hungry for some Chinese cuisine but the Mall was too crowded already.

Their food items in the menu were really affordable! Me and my family were so full with these appetizer, two viands and a medium-sized yang chow fried rice which only costs around 800php!

Three-Kind Cold Cuts

(Chicken Asado, Seaweed and Cetnury Egg)

Mixed Seafood and Vegetable

(a mix of shrimp, scallops, fish fillet and variety of vegetables)

Sweet and Sour Pork

(our ever favorite! hehe)

So that's how we spent our Saturday :)

Til' Next time!