600,000 celebrate Lunar New Year in Binondo

MANILA, Philippines — Over half a million people participated in the Lunar New Year festivities in Binondo, Manila over the weekend.

According to the Manila Police District, at least 600,000 people converged in Binondo from Saturday morning until nighttime.

Around 120,000 people joined the countdown and watched the fireworks display in Binondo and another 5,000 people on Jones Bridge, both at the stroke of midnight, based on police estimates.

Some 15,000 people went to Binondo yesterday to watch dragon dances and other activities, police added.

In her speech before the midnight countdown, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said the city chose Jones Bridge as a viewing deck of the fireworks display because it serves as the entry to Chinatown in Binondo, said to be the world’s oldest.

The fireworks went up over the adjacent and China-funded Binondo-Intramuros Bridge.
Lacuna said the Lunar New Year celebrations reflect the “diversity and strength of the Filipino-Chinese community and its contributions to this magnificent city.”