Hawaii Chinatown rings in 2024 Lunar New Year

HONOLULU, the United States, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- A series of 2024 Chinese Lunar New Year events kicked off Saturday in the capital city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, attracting over 100,000 attendees this weekend.

Saturday's events, including "Chinatown Night" and the Chinese New Year Parade, were some of the largest events in Hawaii in recent years, especially after the pandemic.

Celebrating the Year of the Dragon, the festival featured live entertainment, lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, food and craft vendors, and several other activities and traditions to ring in the new year.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also appeared at the parade to celebrate with the local Chinese community.

The Narcissus Queen Pageant is a traditional event in Hawaii to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. The pageant was initially tied to celebrations due to the narcissus flower being an auspicious symbol of rebirth and good fortune.

Jasmine Chow, one of the competitors in this year's pageant, told local media on Saturday that the celebration showed the community is recovering from the pandemic.

"I think it's a positive outlook on where Chinatown's going. This event is a great event to remember the great businesses that we have here -- a lot of businesses have been coming and going, but the businesses that have been here for generations, this event will bring life to them," Chow said.