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In January or February of each year, the Chinese celebrate the beginning of their new year . . . 2008 is the beginning of the Year of the Rat.
I have seen Chinese New Year in two dynamic settings: San Francisco, California and Hong Kong.
San Francisco is my home town, and my family saw the annual Chinese New Year Parade snake through the streets along Market and through Chinatown for years on end. It is always wonderful, as are the events surrounding the event, such as the crowning of Miss Chinatown, U.S.A.
PyroSpectacular is one of the finest pyro companies in the world. They stage many of the largest exhibitions around the country, including San Francisco's Fourth of July (which used to be sponsored by The San Francisco Chronicle when the paper was owned by the deYoung-Thieriot family and shot from three different locations over the bay).
I will eventually upload additional images and more information about travelling to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year . . . or any time of year for that matter. It is safe, wonderful, a shopper's paradise -- I still have knock-off Cashmere sweaters bought in Kowloon for about $15 each when they were selling in the United States for $100++.
Well worth it in every respect, and do include a side trip to Macau to see the Blessing of the Fleet, which also takes place during the Chinese New Year Celebration.
Reading departure signs in some big airport