Tag: Earth Dog

Photographing the Chinese New Year: Top 10

With a tourist agenda in place for Chinese New Year, your’s sincerely isn’t going to write about Chinese New Year and tell you to leave your camera at home. In fact, you can bet I’ll never do it because there’s no better way in capturing an extravaganza of light and color than with your camera. Besides, it not only makes lasting memories, but a good visual for the mantelpiece to show off. Here are some of the best things to capture during this flashy (no pun intended) occasion.

1. Dragon Dance:

One of the ultimate things to capture is a dragon dance, which are said to bring luck. They are colorful displays with lots of interesting shots of both the dragon dancers and the adorning crowds. They say, the longer the dragon, the more luck it is meant to bring. Nearly every Chinatown will have one during Chinese New Year Day on 16 February.

2. Lanterns:

This has got to be another classic, traditionally in red, a symbol of a prosperous life and booming business the radiating beauty and the fact that they’re not moving makes them a photographers dream.

3. Feasts fit for a God:

For those that celebrate, welcoming the year of the dog would be food, food and more food, often and I’m not exaggerating of epic proportions. While you’d need to be tactile and not implement your camera in the middle of a family feast without asking, those that get the access are often left with a stunning array of unique food snaps that will wow anyone.

4. Streetscapes:

It’s magical, romantic and a whole plethora of other words that won’t do the Lunar New Year and what it means. If you’re in the US, Europe, Australia or elsewhere outside of China, Chinese communities make it a bustling time full of activity as people prepare, shop and enjoy the occasion – creating streets-scenes like the Paris of the orient.

5. The People:

Those that observe this special holiday are often dressed for the occasion. Bright colors, new suave trims and jovial appearances are often the way to go. For 2018, expect to also see folks in green, blue and black to symbolize the elements of wood and water – considered lucky in the year of the Earth Dog.

6. Customs:

Chinese New Year is often a time for customs that includes things such as giving lucky red packets that usually contain money, people praying at temples to bring luck or a jovial game of mahjong, a festive favorite – just mind the noise.

7. Smiles and Laughter:

One thing that makes Chinese New Year so special for those that celebrate it is that it is an occasion to meet friends and family that many haven’t seen in a year or more. The aura can be captured by the smiles and laughter of those catching up with those that matter.

8. Fireworks:

Depending on where you are, the Lunar New Year is marked by a dazzling fireworks display that are bound to make sparks fly on any photograph.

9. Dogs:

No, this is not the name of my new hit single. As it’s the year of the Earth Dog, there is no better way than to capture man’s best friend. Maybe, a four-legged bundle of joy that’s dressed up for the occasion.

10. You:

Whilst the title to this entry sounds like an incomplete sentence, it’s not. It would be a real shame to capture all these dazzling displays and not get a cheeky selfie or an token image of you in a parade.

Make all those festive photos count by purchasing a NIX/Nixplay digital photo frame. The new NIX Lux collection features dazzling designs and finishes that will complement any majestic capture of the festivities. It is designed in a way that draws the eye of any visitor. Want to share them instantly with friends and family, the Nixplay Iris is a great way to instantly share them with anyone in the world by either adding them as friends or linking multiple frames with its unique WiFi Cloud infrastructure.

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

Capture Chinese New Year in the US

The good thing about the Chinese New Year is that anyone can experience it, whether you are in the US or Europe, you don’t need to make a pilgrimage to China as through their long and extensive history of trade, there are sizable Chinese diasporas in nearly every country in the world. We’ve compiled a list of the top places in the US to take in and capture the wide array of festivities to welcome to year of the Earth Dog – one of the biggest celebrations in the world – right in their backyards. There’s something for everyone and the best thing is, it’s all family friendly.

  1. San Francisco: In the US, most Chinatowns will be dazzling in red and gold. Our top recommendation is the one in San Francisco, being the oldest Chinatown in the country, they have things on for around 15 days including a massive parade that includes more than 100 floats, as well as performances with a 28-foot dragon dance as the highlight.
  2. Los Angeles: Fancy a scavenger hunt? The Firecracker 10k is the place to be. Whilst you can dazzle in the auras of the flower fair in Monetary Park. There is much more than celebratory spotting and plastic surgery contemplation as this time of year.

    The LA Fire Cracker 10k. Photo Credit: Mike Danenberg.

  3. New York: Still getting over the magical New Year’s Day countdown? Well, New York New York comes in third with its own very unique surprises. The extravaganza starts with New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. The highlight of the festivities can be found by heading out to Manhattan, which has a large scale parade on February 16th taking place in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The China Institute of America also conducts workshops during the Chinese New Year weekend.

    Chinese New Year parade in New York City

  4. Washington DC: No, Donald Trump isn’t coming out dressed as a dragon, but there’s plenty to do at this time of year in the nation’s capital. A lot of the buzz revolves around restaurants such as Ping Pong Dim Sum with its party brunch and the folks at Toki Underground will host cooking classes, there is no better way to get into the spirit by getting your hand dirty. This all culminates with yet another lively parade in Chinatown, which features much more than floats – kung fu is very much in the mix. An enriching experience can be found as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which hosts a Chinese New Year event.

    Dragon head from Chinese New Year Parade in Washington DC.

  5. Boston: Being home the third largest Chinatown in the US, has its perks. From, restaurants to traditional Chinese displays of lion dances makes it a perfect time to take in the sights and sounds.
  6. Chicago: We round of our list with Chicago, which takes a more scholarly approach that will leave you feeling somewhat enlightened by learning more about the Lunar New Year. Being home to the Chinese American Museum, there are a series of informative sessions where you can even see how the all-famous lion dance is made. Not only that, but there’s a special (encore) performance by the Chinese National Opera.

    Entrance to the Chinese American Museum in Chicago

This is just a sample of the best Chinese New Year events out there; most States have some form of celebrations so you should have no problem finding Chinese New Year closer to home. All these events happen during the Chinese New Year period, which is on February 16 in 2018 – most things in the US happen in a window of 7 days, and nothing beyond 15 days, so don’t miss out. The above festivities also happen on an annual basis, so if you’ve missed it out on this occasion, make sure you plan early for 2019, which will welcome the year of the Pig on February 5.

Remember all these entertaining and dazzling occasions are best for photography, making lasting memories. Make it count by purchasing and displaying it on a NIX/ Nixplay digital photo frame. The new NIX Lux collection’s elegant design can complement a large collection of those beautiful Lunar New Year photos captured; whilst grandma can enjoy her stunning Nixplay Iris WiFi cloud frames and see what all the fuss is about without leaving her front door!

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.

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