GOASIAPLUS February 2018
Learn how Chinese New Year is celebrated across South East Asia, find the best romantic bars in Kuala Lumpur and discover the quaint island of Pulau Pangkor off the coast Perak in Malaysia.
Learn how Chinese New Year is celebrated across South East Asia, find the best romantic bars in Kuala Lumpur and discover the quaint island of Pulau Pangkor off the coast Perak in Malaysia.
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CNY Around Asean<br />
CELEBRATING<br />
CHINESE<br />
NEW YEAR<br />
AROUND ASEAN<br />
SOUTH EAST ASIA HAS<br />
A SIGNIFICANT CHINESE<br />
POPULATION SCATTERED<br />
ACROSS SEVERAL<br />
COUNTRIES. DIVERSE<br />
AND ASSIMILATED<br />
CULTURES MEAN THAT IT<br />
IS CELEBRATED SLIGHTLY<br />
DIFFERENTLY IN VARIOUS<br />
COUNTRIES. HERE ARE 5<br />
IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND<br />
THEIR TAKE ON CHINESE<br />
NEW YEAR.<br />
WORDS BY AISHAH AZALI • PHOTOS<br />
BY GETTY IMAGES<br />
Thailand<br />
Chinese New Year celebrations in Thailand last for about three days. The<br />
eve of Chinese New Year is called ‘Wan Jai’ where the people will shop<br />
and prepare fresh foods and materials for their gods and ancestors. The<br />
actual day itself is called ‘Wan Wai’ or the day of praying for prosperity<br />
for the whole year. ‘Wan Tiew’ on the following day is the day of relaxing<br />
where the Thais are not likely to work and refrain from saying bad words.<br />
18 · WWW.<strong>GOASIAPLUS</strong>.COM<br />
CHINESE POPULATION:<br />
14%<br />
LOCAL CHINATOWN:<br />
Yaowarat in Bangkok<br />
PHRASES:<br />
Xin Jia Yu Yi Xin Ni Hua Xai which<br />
translates to wishing you happy<br />
and prosperous new year in the<br />
Teochew dialect.<br />
ANG POW:<br />
Young non-married individuals will<br />
typically receive from the senior<br />
members of the family. Giving<br />
and receiving 500 – 1000 Baht<br />
is common but the amount really<br />
differs based on people.<br />
TABOO:<br />
The Thais avoid eating porridge<br />
during this season because the dish<br />
is cooked with a small amount of<br />
rice and a lot of water which could<br />
signify living in hardship with not<br />
enough food for the year.
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