For the parade, people dressed up in colorful traditional clothes and walked in small groups through the street. With the police on the left and right making sure the spectators will not disturb the festivities. Each group consisted of around 10 people, even kids walking with them, and were accompanied by music, usually by drums. The center of each group was a wooden throne which was carried by several man. On top of that throne there was one person, man or woman, wearing a huge headdress made out of different materials (like for example feathers). This headdress reminded me in some cases of the crown of Indian chiefs. Some of the people on the thrown were crazily twisting their eyes, smoking cigarettes and some of them even had their skin pierced by long metal needles. A friend of mine explained to me, that the bodies of those people were possessed by their ancestors ghosts. The night before, there was a big ritual during which the ghosts were taking possession of the bodies.
Chinese New Year and Field Trip to Singkawang
