Chinese New Year in Sibu

chinese new year reunion dinner

Chinese New Year in Sibu is unfailingly celebrated by the liberal ignition of various combustible materials packaged in the form of firecrackers and fireworks. The Lunar New Year is literally heralded in with the people’s version of the 21 gun salute.

This is the view from my house:

Fireworks at midnight to usher in Chinese New Year 2010. I live in a fairly active neighbourhood so you can see the enthusiasm of the people resulting in a cloud of rolling smoke covering the area.

You’ll be hard pressed to see from the man made fog at this point but true to the spirit of my hometown, a police cruiser rolls down the street, giving various warnings to no effect. There’s just too many Chinese in Sibu and it’s been our tradition since time immemorial (oh well, since I was born at least) to let it rip during CNY.

With the police settled, feel free to entertain yourself with the sound of firecrackers and the lovely sight of fireworks from the balcony of my family home.

One last encore.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Gong Xi Fatt Chai and all that. w00t!

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52 thoughts on “Chinese New Year in Sibu”

  1. Shirley Snow: Haha! Thanks! Happy CNY! I have crazy videos of us letting off firecrackers and fireworks last night too…came back early so you can see the scene from my place. πŸ™‚
    jg: Yeah, one of the hotspots in town, along with Lanang and Hua Kiew right in Sibu center. Actually the whole of Sibu was letting it rip last night. Police came when we let ours off (not at my house – my dad doesn’t like it) too, but you know what they want and they can’t stop everyone anyway. πŸ˜‰

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  2. Happy CNY! Almost midnight here in New York. We gate a late start (or you get an early start). Either way, best wishes to you for a prosperous new year.

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  3. Colin T.: Yeah this is how we do it in Sibu! It’s the best place to be if you like firecrackers and fireworks. We let off one amazing 2k slab (belongs to my uncle) that had to be carried in a lorry last night after dinner – looks like the machine gun starbursts in video #2 – will upload the video soon! πŸ™‚
    Ken D.: Happy CNY Ken! Have a roaring Chinese New Year in the Year of the Tiger! πŸ™‚
    Michelle Chin: Well, technically there’s 4 – mom, dad, sis, me, but my sister is in NZ coz she either just gave birth or is about to give birth. That’s my grandma’s house – we celebrate with her every year despite the fact that my grandfather has passed on. Thus, there’s the 3 of us, plus 5 on their side – 8 people, much smaller than the 30+ strong clan when my granddad was still around. πŸ™‚

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  4. Oooo… So u the one tat cause the air pollution in sibu.. Smokey everywhere.. make me hardly to breath.. :S but the fireworks so nice.. love it.. welcome back to sibu, sarawak. πŸ˜›

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  5. foodcrazee: Cheers bro! Hope you’ve having fun this CNY! πŸ™‚
    Shirley Snow: Eh not just me la. Probably 90% of the Chinese households let off some form of firecrackers or fireworks in Sibu. :p
    Thanks! It was a bit hard to drive with all the smoke so I came back earlier. I remember one year I nearly crashed coz of the smoke from the firecrackers – 1 meter visibility! πŸ™‚
    Michelle Chin: Yup, my grandma followeth the Lord thy God’s command – be fruitful and multiply. Haha! I have a lot of uncles and cousins. πŸ™‚
    eiling: You too Eiling! Happy CNY! πŸ™‚

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  6. ah nel: Yup, that’s the best part – reunion dinner then fireworks galore! πŸ™‚
    It’s perhaps the best part about CNY. I love firecrackers and fireworks – we’re quite gung ho about it, remember one CNY where we lobbed 3″ shells at each other in a field – very dangerous now that you think of it, coz it’s propelled up before it bursts. When you lob it, there’s no tube to guide it up so it just goes everywhere and explodes. Tsk…things we do when we were young. Lucky all my limbs are intact. πŸ™‚

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  7. Ryan: Yeah, Sibu is perhaps the best place in Malaysia to celebrate CNY. πŸ™‚
    I must be honest here though – best taken in small doses. I don’t want to work or live here. Haha!

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  8. alexallied: Hey bro, yeah we Sibu folks know how to throw it down. In the few days I’m here I’ve met police, narcotics and triads. Fucking holy trinity. πŸ™‚
    Tan Yee Hou: I think it’s coz most KL folks are not KL folks but from Penang, JB and Ipoh so that’s why not that meriah in KL. Nevermind! See ya when I come back! πŸ™‚

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  9. cin: Yup, the Chinese over here = firm believers in firecrackers and fireworks…which makes enforcement oh so difficult over here. πŸ™‚

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  10. HAPPY NEW YEAR CHINA! thanks for bailing our ass’s out when we need money.
    BTW we all know you cheated in the Olympics and if that Japanese snowboarder gets kicked out of the Winter Olympics just because he expresses himself, than Canada can suck my balls.

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  11. Tai ko, did you bring Jestina to meet Uncle and Aunty? No pictures to share with us, aya, come on lah, he he he. Only kidding lah. I am sure you will do it in your own time liaw.
    Anyway, I baked a cake for Pricness, to show my affection, however, while the cake was cooling, I ate it, damn, it was yummy. I guess will have to wait till next year. Hope she is not too lan. πŸ™‚

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  12. WEEN: You’re confusing China with Chinese. We moved out of China into Malaysia a couple of generations ago. We’re considered overseas chinese instead of mainland chinese.
    Haha! I totally get your point on the bail out – but then again, China has so much foriegn currency invested in the good ol’ United States that they really don’t have much of a choice do they? πŸ™‚
    rocket: Haha! No la I’m home alone. Just been visiting and meeting up with friends and family.
    Oh, then that doesn’t really count bro, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. πŸ˜‰
    Happy CNY!

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  13. suituapui: Ah good you’re in Sibu! I have two weddings to attend tomorrow, after that visit your home? πŸ˜‰
    e: Yeah, Sibu folks spend a lot on fireworks and firecrackers – mostly superstition, but it works for everyone coz it makes the entire plaace lively. πŸ™‚
    vv: Okay logging in, checking and will reply. Happy CNY! πŸ™‚

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  14. wow.. Firecrackers.. Thanks for sharing the vids.. Din know sibu is so happening..
    talking bout food, i’ve been eating and sleeping so much i think i’ve at least gained 5kgs.. It’s time to go level up soooonn..

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  15. I hear CNY is good time to find future wife(s), women for unknown reason are easy to pick up during this period, perhaps getting older makes them more despareate. Whatever the chemistry, it’s to our advantage.
    Parents are also good source of chix. You tell mum that you cannot find Ah Moy in KL and before you know it, she will have a long list of people for you to visit (good for ang pows also).
    One more year going by, I still haven’t gotten a tattoo. so I need you advice, where to get in Kuching etc etc. Perhaps you can write us a blog.
    Hmmm….perhaps I can get a pricensss tattoo, that’s a gift that keep giving.

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  16. ahlost: Hello Rose! Sibu is ALWAYS more happening than anywhere in Malaysia when it comes to firecrackers and fireworks. We do it the old skool Chinese style yo. πŸ˜‰
    Hey, missed you this CNY, see you in Kuching k? πŸ™‚
    Eriku: The patrol car in two of the videos…haha, they were getting angpows, no need to exit from vehicle somemore. πŸ™‚
    fish fish: I got the drumstick and so did my dad…old fucking tradition but the oldest son (my dad) and the oldest son of the oldest son (me) gets the prime meat. Chinese tradition, oh well, gonna throw it out of the window when I have my own children – everyone = equal. πŸ™‚
    rocket: Haha! That is so fucking true bro, you meet a lot of potentials at weddings. Tattoo – I recommend Australia, but if you want to do it in Malaysia, then Borneo Headhunters in Kuching.
    Hey, why don’t we do a UV tattoo together? On the face, not visible unless under UV light. πŸ™‚

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  17. Haha ah well HB i got what you mean. Taken in small doses it is.. I don’t think I’m gonna practice medicine back in Sibu it seems a bit depressing but ah well we’ll see! πŸ˜‰ Sibu’s awesome for new years tho. They burn money in the air like there’s no tomorrow! ging hi ging hi ging hi huat zai XD

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  18. Ryan: I certainly won’t recommend Sibu as a place to build your career. Go to KL or Singapore and come back when you want to retire. Can’t deny it’s a good place to rest your bones. πŸ™‚
    Ya, Sibu damn happening when it comes to fireworks and firecrackers. =D

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  19. Not too sure about getting tatts in Australia, didn’t get any ang pow this year. Next time, do it in Kuching. How do they charge for their service? Based on time or the size? Borneo Headhunters do quality work?
    Hey, did you bet your ang pow money on 21 points? That’s a Sarawak tradition liaw and you have to buy take Princess to open air market with your winnings.

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  20. rocket: Borneo Headhunters is probably the best in Sarawak but you can’t compare it to places like Aussie and US coz they don’t have nifty new stuff like UV tattoos and can’t do complicated piercings. πŸ™‚
    I was the Banker for blackjack, but after a prolonged session only won a meagre amount of money. :S
    thenomadGourmand: Nope, don’t expect to see me plumper…but FATTER. Haha!
    Seriously ate a lot in Sibu. πŸ™‚
    yienyien: It’s the essentials, fish (abundance), prawns (forgot what this symbolizes), longevity noodles (this is a Heng Hua custom), fatt choi etc etc. πŸ™‚

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  21. Coming back home to Sibu is always emotional..especially during Chinese New Year!
    Great collection of Firework shows! Its probably the best in the world…..funded by the citizen very own money! (in the spirit of celebration)

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  22. Justin LIng: Indeed, indeed. We do spend a lot of fireworks and firecrackers every year and not a cent of it is from the government. Citizen funding FTW. Heh! πŸ™‚

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