parade

For those who dunno or din even heard about the most happening event of the year in JB,I'm here to present you the fantabulous and acclaimed "Yau SAn"(Cantonese)."You2 Sheng2"(Mandarin) and the "Parade of Gods".It is a specialty of Johor Bahru whereby it has already held for almost a decade.The historical event is origin from our ancestor that migrated or fled to JB where they are from all parts of China which formed the 5 main clans here in Malaysia which consists the Teo Chew,Hokkien,Cantonese,Hakka and Hainanese.

Each of the clan pray their own god and only belief in their own god.Often they'll fought with other clans whenever there's a conflict out of their strong belief in their own god and denied the others.Eventually,the people felt that this problem shouldn't be continues on to happen at its discretion.So in order to stop this,they build the "Johor Old Temple"(which also the oldest temple in Johor which established for 100 over years and now still situated in the heart of Johor Bahru's town surrounded by all shopping malls,shops and hotels but still standing strong...thx to those that carrying the spirit of our ancestors until now...without them we dun even know our own root and rich culture).They combined all the 5 gods from each clan under one temple and at the same time created unity among all the fellow Chinese from diff. clans(where afterall they are still Chinese despite the clan thingy).From that on,people started to pray gods of each other without discriminating and also live in unity/peace until now.

Disclaimer: U may not understand what I'm talking,and what I'd wrote is only the very simplify version.For more details,ask ur grandfolks or great-grandfolks from JB,they'll know better.

So,the parade is something like for the citizens to long/pray for prosperity and blessing through out the entire year.Where people carrying joss sticks through out the whole parade and follows behind the gods.While,some strong build men will take turn to carry the sedan where the gods rest on and they sway the sedan vigorously for every few seconds through out the entire flowing of the parade towards the few kilometers away of the ending point.Women are forbidden on doing this.Those men that touched or swayed the gods are say to be going to have a properous and blessful year,esp. the businessman!

Besides there are also dragon dance,traditional performances,lion dance,stilt walk,line dances,opera singing in dialects,Kung Fu demonstration,Tai Chi,stunting with the giant flags,lorries which carrying lanterns/flowerish lights/giving out candies and so on by many Chinese based guilds.It is so happening and celebrate.Every year the main road in JB town have to close off becos of this and schools that affected will have to finish off early.
The Sultan of Johor used to ban this parade but the Sultan dreamt of those Chinese Gods one night and the Gods asked HIM to open up the parade again or else something bad will happens on HIM...and there after the parade will not failed to occupy the JB town's major streets every year until now.And for your information,this parade is held every year on the 22th day of Chinese New Year on Lunar's calender.

This parade is often anticipate by all JB citizens where we are people that being root and culture-concern.We have to stand up for our own race to prove that we are unity and not a bunch of westernized ethnic.

Thx for those that inherit this culture and make the parade happens.

P/s:Have you noticed that the Gods are so powerful and efficacious that they can even manipulate the Sultan by going into HIS dream.Dun play the fool...

Some photos taken on this year's parade(too bad I left my DC in the car,so just bear wif the low res. camera phone taken's photos):

Big head dolls
At the junction
Traditional Fan dance
They were holding flower basket
Stunt of giant flags
The very famous and acclaim award winning luminiscence dragon
The dragon dance at rapid pace

Lion Dance

The banner and huge crowd

Folks were performing the Tai Chi fan or something which I can't remember

There are so many more pictures taken but I'm just so lazy to upload all,therefore only being able to filter out these few.But no doubt the parade was nice and really in a huge crowd!Btw,there were approx. 20 lorries/vans/MPV carrying different performances!!!