LATE POST: Spending Chinese New Year 2012 in Binondo, Manila

What better way to celebrate the Chinese New Year 2012 than to gear up your Lomo cameras and roll to Chinatown! In my travels around Asia, I have always encountered countries having their own Chinatowns; Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and others. But as I have just learned recently, the oldest among these is located in the country right where I am in: the Philippines!

I got word that celebration of the Chinese New Year will be on the 23rd of January, 2012. It was sure time to gear up for a long Lomo walk around Binondo, Manila, where Chinatown is located. Last year, since I haven’t been into Lomography yet, I have just accidentally experienced the festivities and captured some shots using my camera phone. But now, I came to the celebration with a purpose and that is to load up my LOMO LC-A+ for a good analogue adventure.

Chinese New Year also has the typical fireworks display but since we all got drowned from all the fireworks shots in welcoming 2012, Chinatown had another colourful tradition to offer, and that is the display of the Dragon Dance in the streets.

I got to capture the exciting moments of the Dragon Dance as they visit from store to store and even got to try the Dragon costume! Also, there are other stints that surprised me, like that of the gay exhibitionists breathing fire, imitating the capabilities of the Dragon to emit fire from its mouth.

Aside from all the festivities, charms and decorations are aplenty in the area and these even turned out to be best sellers among Chinese locals and even the visiting Filipinos around town.

It sure was a long walk and I got to bump in to the huge crown swarming the streets but it was all worth it if you’re that passionate in Lomography just like me! ;)

written by imnotgic on 2012-02-09