Thick white smoke seeped through the door of Sang Kee Peking Duck House as cheers and the blaring of smoke detectors filled Race Street.
It was Chinese New Year. Firecrackers hung from business awnings exploded, attendees threw lettuce into the breezy air for good luck and dancers in dragon costumes performed intricate routines.
Two months of leadup events – including dumpling workshops, meet and greets with Kung Fu Panda characters, and museum shows organized by Comcast – culminated in this vibrant parade through Chinatown on February 2.
Some participants felt an additional sense of jubilation as this year’s celebration followed the news in early January that the proposed Philadelphia 76ers arena would not be built in Chinatown.
“It is definitely bigger this year,” said Jonathan Liu, a waiter at Sang Kee. “Chinatown is saved from the stadium.”
Following years of debate and opposition from residents in Chinatown, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the Sixers basketball arena would stay in South Philadelphia on Jan. 13. The initial plan to build an NBA arena on the edge of the historic neighborhood drew protests from the community, which said it would harm the neighborhood.
“It is honestly a relief. I believe the arena would have torn this community apart, maybe not at first, but over time,” Liu said, yelling over the parade firecrackers.
Chinese New Year is celebrated every year by over 1 billion people, according to Statista. Philadelphia is one of the many cities in the United States with a strong Chinese community which started in the 1870s.
The Philadelphia Suns, a youth-focused community organization in Chinatown, organized this year’s parade. Wearing bright yellow shirts, hundreds of Suns volunteers helped lead the winding dragon procession through the streets.
“I volunteer and help all the businesses that are a part of the celebration light off their firecrackers,” said Dean Wang, a parade volunteer with the Philadelphia Suns.
The firecrackers, used to scare off evil spirits, are just one of the many traditions in Chinese culture celebrated at the parade. Another tradition is the passing of red envelopes with money inside for the New Year, “the favorite among children,” Liu said.
Charlie Jackson drove in from New Jersey to support his family at the parade.
“My sister in law is Chinese so we came and watched the parade with her. Our tradition is to go out to eat as a family and just relax,” Jackson said.
“Every year it just gets better, I wouldn’t miss it,” Jackson added.
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