Bangkok Chinese New Year Festival

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Schedule : 12-14 February 2002

Venue : Around Yaowarat Road, Bangkok

Origin :
Thailand is the home of people of many races that came here to receive royal protection. The Chinese is one of these groups and it is the largest group. Most Chinese Thais are engaged in commerce and they reside in every corner of the country. The group's largest commercial center is around Yaowarat Road (Chinatown) and Charoen Krung Road. There, visitors will find numerous stores and stalls.
Every Chinese New Year, Thais of Chinese ancestry in Bangkok would assemble around Chinatown to celebrate the festival. The event is attended by many Thais and foreigners

Activities :
- Stores selling products and food.
- International and Chinese music.
- Lion dance.
- Local Chinese cultural performances.
- Chinese opera.

Nearby Tourist Spots :
- Kalawa Church (Samphanthawong)
	was built by Roman Catholic Portuguese people in 1767.
- Wat Chakkrawat Rachawat Woramaha Wihan (Samphanthawong)
	was formerly called Wat Nang Plum or Wat Sam Plum. It was built in the Ayutthaya period.
- Wat Chai Chana Songkhram (Samphanthawong)
	is usually called Wat Tuk because most of the buildings here are made of plaster-covered bricks. Chao Phraya Bodin Decha (Sing Singhaseni) built it to commemorate his victory over Vietnamese and Khmer forces.
- Wat Pathum Khongkha Ratchaworawihan (Samphanthawong)
	has 2 Lankan Bodi trees that grew from seeds from the sacred Bodi tree in Sri Lanka. One tree is beside Khlong Thom and the other beside the assembly hall.

For more information, contact :
- TAT.
	Tel. (02) 6941222 ext. 1962, fax (02) 6941384
- Bangkok Tourism Promotion Center.
	Tel. (02) 2257612-5