Fireworks, lanterns, dragon dance in HK; Street parties in Philippines,
Singapore; global internet party in Malaysia; mass concert in Thailand;
cruise to first sunrise in Japan; and floating candles in Cambodia
HONG KONG (DPA) - Theoretically, ushering in the new millennium
should be strictly an occidental affair, of little significance to the orient.
After all, the 2000th birthday of Jesus Christ has little cultural, religious or
even historical importance to the mostly non-Christian, Asian continent.
In Buddhist countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand,
governments and people generally count this the year 2542, dating back to the
Buddha's death. Next year, or 2000 A.D., will be Buddhist Era (B.E.) 2543,
hardly a notable year numerically even for lottery players.
The Japanese calendar traditionally starts anew with the beginning of an
emperor's reign. Although most Japanese now go by the Western calendar,
few attach much cultural significance to it, with less than one percent of
population claiming to be Christian.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, millennium eve celebrations are expected to be
somewhat dampened by the Moslem holy month of Ramadan when Moslems
are supposed to fast and shun frivolities such as alchohol and dancing in the
streets.
While the approaching millennium has questionable cultural significance for
Asia, regional tourism promoters are doing their best to milk the milestone for
what its worth.
Hong Kong, where about nine percent of the population are Christian, arguably
leads the pack in millennium hooplah.
"Compared to other Asian countries, our festivities are really promising," said
John Tse, general manager of the Hong Kong Tourist Association.
The former British colony, which hopes to attract 10.2 million tourists this
year, has allocated 3.8 million dollars to its millennium program.
The main "Millennium Extravaganza" will be a "ring of light" fireworks display
and a display of giant lanterns, forming the backdrop to a spectacular dragon
dance and lantern festival to be held at the Happy Valley Race Course on
December 31.
Millennium Cup horse races will be started at the famous race course shortly
after the countdown.
Singapore has annointed its 15 months of tourism-related events which kicked
off in June 1999 and ends next August as "the most spectacular millennium
celebration in Asia."
The countdown started with the unveiling of the 210,000 dollar Swiss-designed
Millennium Countdown Clock on posh Orchard Road in June.
On December 31, visitors are invited to "ring in the new millennium with a big
bang as you join all of Singapore in the biggest ever outdoor New Year's Eve
party at Orchard Road."
Not to be outshown, the Malaysian government plans a two-year celebration of
the new millennium beginning from this September to August 2001, called
"Malaysia's Centennial into the New Millennium."
Malaysia's biggest scheduled millenniumeve party is to take place at a posh
resort hotel near Kuala Lumpur, which will be the venue for the country's
participation in the so-called "Zero Experience" that's being coordinated by a
Los Angeles-based company which has a website - www.2000global.com.
Other venues taking part include Tokyo, New York, Bali, London, Sydney,
Singapore, Los Angeles, and maybe Bangkok.
The global party, starting from 6 p.m. December 31 to the countdown at
midnight, will beamed live via the Internet, with each city getting air space of
about 26 minutes.
"There'll be a maxi stage, with various events like rock concerts going on,"
said Joe Ghazzal, the local organizer for the millennium event. "We can't wait
another 1,000 years to celebrate it."
In the Philippines, where more than 80 percent of the population is Roman
Catholic, there are two major parties planned on December 31.
The "Ayala Millennium Celebration", to be held on Ayala Avenue in the
financial district of Makati, is being touted as "the one party to be seen in and
to be seen by the whole world".
Another party is planned at the Fort Bonifacio Global City, a former military
camp being transformed into an industrial, commercial and residential
community just south of Makati.
"Be part of the millennium experience as Metro Manila's most modern
metropolis comes to life at the dawn of mankind's greatest era," crooned
Ronaldo Mayor, vice president for marketing at Fort Bonifacio Development
Corp, developer of the Global City.
Thailand, which already has a very special celebration planned for December
5, 1999, which is Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 72nd birthday, is also trying
to capitalize on the millennium buzz word.
Events leading up to the King's birthday form the focus for the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s so-called "Golden Months Events,"
(November-January 2000), while everything thereafter have been lumped under
"Millennium Events."
Some programs attempt to combine the two. For instance, a mass pop
concert will be held from December 31 to January 1, 2000 at UTapao airbase
in eastern Thailand to celebrate both the king's birthday and the millennium.
The concert, hosted by the TAT but organized by K&B Company of the
Netherlands, hopes to attract pop legend Madonna, Rod Stewart, and Janet
Jackson.
Even in Japan, where no government-sponsored millennium parties are
planned, the private sector has joined the millennium frenzy.
Nippon Travel Agency Company Ltd., for example, is promoting a tour
package called, "The Daybreak of the Year 2000."
Participants will take a luxury cruiser to see the first sun rise of the new
millenium on the international date line, costing between 11,300 to 52,000
dollars, depending on the type of room you select.
Millennium revelers in Cambodia should head to the centuries-old Angkor
temples in Siem Reap province to ring in the new year. The Ministry of Culture
is planning a three-day festival December 30 - January 1 at different sites in
the temple complex, culminating with lighted candles floating in the moat
around 8thcentury Angkor Wat.
Vietnam wins the "flat-footed" prize for its millennium preparations. According
to one official at the Ministry of Culture and Information, there has been no
government decision yet as to whether the millenium should be observed on
December 31, 1999 or December 31, 2000.
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