Year of the Rabbit in Paris 2023

[kerouac2]

In 2020, the festivities were cancelled just before the parade weekend, which was of course prepared very much in advance.  At that time there was a confirmed total of just two cases of corona virus in Paris, but it was the Chinese community itself that chose to cancel.  They were the best informed population at the time, probably with family in Wuhan and similar places.  France itself was not confined until a month and a half later.  In 2021 festivities were very much out of the question, and in 2022 it was still too soon.  So yesterday, after three years of waiting, Chinese New Year was finally celebrated again.

The Chinese, French and European flags are always flown at this event.

As in the past, many participants are only Chinese in spirit for this event.

Red and gold are the principal colours.

[kerouac2]

The parade organises on avenue d'Ivry, which I prefer precisely because it is not yet organised with no crowd control. When it gets started and moves into avenue de Choisy, all of the barricades are firmly in place and it becomes impossible to cross the street -- and the crowds are much thicker there.

People get a vantage point wherever they can find one.

[htmb]

Super photos! Looking forward to seeing more. Everyone looks very bundled up. It must have been very cold.

[lugg]

So colourful - just the ticket to brighten a dull, dark day here. looking forward to more.

[kerouac2]

I think I have explained in the past that the reason that this area became Chinatown is that all of the high rise flats (about 40 towers) were built around 1975 as a project by modernist President Pompidou (who died in 1974) and the Parisians hated most of what he did. However, 1975 is when the Vietnamese boat people arrived, and they were more than happy to live in these buildings, followed by the Cambodians in 1979. In the meantime, Chinese from China and other places found it totally normal to move there as well, where they could speak the language and buy the products that they wanted. The Southeast Asian population of France is now estimated to be about a million (many now being second generation born in France with the third generation underway), and about 140,000 live in this area.

[htmb]

I must say, I’m a bit envious. Your photos are wonderful.

[bixaorellana]

This is so much fun and the colors are exuberantly vibrant. I think the cold gray of the day makes them pop even more. The crowd seems happy despite the cold. Always a good idea to get in at the beginning, where there is lots of milling & opportunity for candid shots and there is less jostling.

Somewhere on anyport there is a full or partial report on the four-lady water fountains in Paris. I spy one in the last photo of reply #1. It's painted bright Chinese red. Any idea if that's its permanent state, or only for this festival?

[kerouac2]

That Wallace fountain has been that way for at least ten years now. I know of another one (not in Chinatown) which is a horrible hot pink.

It wasn't cold. It was at least 4° yesterday.

[kerouac2]

a series in red

[bixaorellana]

Absolutely love these candid portraits taken in the midst of a crowd.

[bjd]

Nice that the guy in drag is so well accepted among the older women.

[kerouac2]

[htmb]

You’ve got some super compositions. I really like the photo with the banners, 5th one up from here. The last photo in this section is perfection!

[kerouac2]

These things just put themselves in front of my camera. I decline responsibility.

[kerouac2]

Let's take a brief break with a little movement and noise for three and a half minutes.

[mossie]

All very colourful, and most of them appear to be enjoying themselves.

Thanks for showing us

[kerouac2]

moving along...





A cheerleading group with perhaps very limited relation to China was welcome nevertheless .









They might have come from a land that celebrates mardi gras.



Ah, the Chinese connection! Rabbit ears...

[kerouac2]

Things were beginning to wind down for me because my energy was being sucked out of me by the crowd. I almost joined the huge queue for banh mi.



They were being sold as fast as they could make them.





okay, back to business

[fumobici]

Just the thing for the middle of a dull gray winter isn't it?

[kerouac2]

[kerouac2]

Parisians swarmed at the shops seliing crap.



What on earth do they do with this stuff when they get home?



Dragons continued to dance.



Meanwhile, I made a little price check on various fruits for sale.





Percussion certainly continued long after I went home.

Thank you all for your kind comments.

[lugg]

Fab - just love this , thank you K2 for brightening my day with your wonderful vibrant photo essay. I dont think I had heard of Banh mi before - just looked it up - yummy.