The Asian Reporter Pacific Northwest News q Volume 29 Number 4 q February 18, 2019 q www.asianreporter.com Asia welcomes Year of the Pig with banquets, temple visits, and more FIERY WELCOME. A fire-eater performs during celebrations of the Lunar New Year in the Chinatown district of Manila, the Philippines. 2019 welcomes the Year of the Pig in the lunar calendar. People born under the sign of the Pig are generally considered to be caring, charitable, generous, outgoing individuals who are sincere and genuine. They are also known for their tendency to be pessimistic and can be materialistic and stingy. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) BEIJING (AP) — Asia welcomed the Lunar Year of the Pig with visits to temples, family banquets, and the world’s biggest travel spree. Celebrations took place throughout the region, from Beijing and Seoul to Hanoi and Singapore. The streets of Beijing and other major Chinese cities were quiet and empty after millions of people left to visit relatives or travel abroad during the year’s biggest family holiday. Families gathered at home for multigenerational banquets. Companies, shops, and government offices closed for official holidays that ranged from two days Have a safe and prosperous Year of the Pig!! February 5, 2019 to January 24, 2020 in South Korea to a week in China. Worshippers stood in line for hours at Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin Temple to welcome the new year by lighting incense. Lana Wong, a prominent Hong Kong actress, wore a pig costume for the event. “My first wish is for world peace,” said Wong, 88. “Everyone has food to eat, employment, and houses to live in. The elderly also hope the government will take better care of them.” In Beijing, performers in traditional Qing dynasty robes strummed zithers for a re-enactment at sunrise of a sacrificial ceremony at the Chinese capital’s Temple Continued on page 2 SPiLt ink Gallery Acrylic Colour Pencil Graphite Oil Pen & Ink Watercolour Pets w Holidays w Special Occasions w Just for Fun www.spiltinkgallery.com (503) 442-6427 The Asian Reporter 922 N. Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97217 USA Lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only, not investment purposes.