CHINESE FESTIVAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22991, 19 March 1938, Page 12

CHINESE FESTIVAL

DISPLAY IN SYDNEY §? SPLENDID NIGHT SCENE^ DRAGON AND FIREWORKS JE [FROM OTO OWN* CORRESPONDENT] ilp SYDNEY, March 12 f The Chinese festival the Sydney. Show Ground, part of 'the anniversary;; celebrations, was a great success, It; was estimated that inside the ground H there were 40,000 people, and that :-'. 10,000 more had had to be turned away: at the gates. Not only was every seat in every stand occupied, but hundreds sat on the stairways and there was not a spare inch of standing room anywhere from which even a restricted peep could be had of the arena. ... The display was colourful and fascinating. From beginning to end •it was entirely Chinese, with all the rich glamour of the East. It was organised and . worked nt, for months in advance by the Chinese community«"as a gesture of goodwill and friendship to the Australian people." "From the oldest civilisation to the youngest nation we offer felicitations i and congratulations on reaching 150 years of nationhood," said the organisers in a foreword on the programme. Cymbals and Drums j . The sounding of cymbals and the| beating of drums, with the nionotonoui repetition of the East, told of the entry of the procession into the arena, which was brilliantly floodlit. Slowly tho.t| members of the procession, mostly on | foot, but with a few elaborately-decor-ated floats, interspersed, walked round the arena. Their gay Oriental gowns were attractive in. the extreme; but the best was to come. Suddenly all the arena lights tffere s turned off, and at the same inoment lights appeared from every single figure and on every vehicle. Scores'of Chinese walked in the procession carrying paper figures of elephants, tigeh, • bears, horses, goats, peacocks, doves,H. and other birds and animals, all lighted from the inside. There were others carrying illuminated banners inscribed in Chinese; and the floats of coloured lights. Twistings of Dragon ' ■ Finally, amid enthusiastic cheers, there entered the 140 ft. long dragon, operated by 30 men carrying the'bam- | boo framework, which was covered with | coloured silk and bore along its back i a line of green lights. Later, as it Wdnt ! into the arena and through all sort£of twistings and turnings, coilings and uncoilings, there was more tumultuous applause. The dragon's head was picked out in many coloured lights, and j men ran in front with single-coloured i lights, which the dragon to t seize. It was all very jolly and pici turesque. ! Finally, a display of-fire-works specially brought from China'for i the occasion, which were as complete a | novelty to Australian eyes as the proi cession itself. The smaller "pieces" were held by a single man on a framework and, as the fireworks were lighted, birds developed in delightful colourings. The designs were dainty rather than huge and impressive. As a clirtkx . there was a large set piece representing Sydney Harbour Bridge, witn < train moving across it and a ship pass-v ing underneath.