Four Shrines to Pray at during the Golden Dragon Year

The Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and Chinese communities worldwide are gearing up to celebrate the beginning of the year of the dragon on the traditional Chinese calendar. The festive spirit is also high in Thailand, which boasts a significant Thai-Chinese population. The New Year festivities kicked off last week and run through February 20.

For Thai-Chinese people, the Lunar New Year holds immense significance, much like Christmas for Christians. While Christmas is marked by red and green, the colour palette for the Chinese New Year is dominated by red and gold.

To usher in their New Year, Thai-Chinese individuals follow various auspicious practices to bring prosperity to themselves, their families, and their businesses. Among these practices is praying for ancestors at the family altar and paying homage to gods.

Chinese shrines are scattered throughout Chinese…