Chinese Consul to grace Chinese New Year celebration
Consul General He Shi Jing of the Chinese Consulate of the People's Republic of China in Cebu would be the special guest of the Chinese-Filipino community of Iloilo as they celebrate the 2008 Chinese New Year.
The consul will arrive on February 8 in time for Chinese New Year program. Aside from the consul, the Iloilo Chinese-Filipino community also invited popular singer Jose Marie Chan and Teresita Ang See of the Citizens Action Against Crime (CAAC).
The Iloilo Chinese-Filipino Cultural Association set the main program a day after the Chinese New Year which is February 7, 2008. This year is the year of the earth rat.
On February 8, there will be a grand parade which will start at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol until Plazoleta Gay. There will be cultural shows, world-class pyrotechnics display, food festival and night market at the Plazoleta Gay and in the so called China town of Iloilo.
The five-day Chinese New Year celebration here will start tomorrow (Tuesday) with a cultural show at the Robinsons Place. The Iloilo Sun Yat Sen High School will take care of the cultural show. The following day, a show titled "Pot-Pourri", which is a Chinese festival of dances and an exhibit which centers on the "Wonders of China and Beijing 2008 Olympics will also be held at the Robinsons Place.
The Iloilo Hotels Restaurants and Resorts Association (IHRRA) will spearhead the food festival on February 8. It will showcase Chinese cuisines from known Chinese restaurants. The kiosk-renters are encouraged to serve and prepare authentic Chinese cuisines during the food festival.
The restaurant that serves the best Chinese cuisines and best kiosk adorn with Chinese trinkets will receive a P10,000 cash prize each.