124th Golden Dragon Lunar New Year Parade draws thousands of spectators in Chinatown
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Families, community members and friends lined the streets of Chinatown on Saturday to welcome back the Golden Dragon Parade.
"Every year we gather here to watch this Chinatown parade," said spectator Eva Ung. "It's going on every year. I guess it's a tradition for a long time."
It has evolved over the decades and is now in its 124th edition for the year of the rabbit.
Not only is it fun and beautiful to watch, but the lion dancing is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune to local businesses.
Lunar New Year is celebrated by many across Southern California, including Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities.
"I look forward to spending lots of time with family and friends and, you know, eat lots of food," Ung said with a laugh.
Rep. Judy Chu described Lunar New Year as "a time to celebrate with family. It's a time to touch base with family, with dinners, and to be able to kind of renew yourself."
This year's grand marshal was Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Many in attendance acknowledged the grief that Chinese and Asian American communities are experiencing. One week ago, on Jan. 28, 11 people were killed in Monterey Park on Lunar New Year's Eve.
"It's been a hard week for a lot of our communities," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. "But this moment right here represents solidarity. And it also represents that we need to feel joy in moments to help heal us. And this is what we're all doing together collectively in this Chinatown community, celebrating the joy and hopefully a prosperous new year."
The parade, organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, is back for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Most important, we have to respect each other," said Chester Chong, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, "work together, united together, and make the world more peaceful."
