Chinese New Year celebration at the Heritage Hotel Manila

The Heritage Hotel Manila (THHM) welcomed the Year of the Goat last Feb. 1 with bountiful feast and traditional New Year festivities.

Headed by THHM assistant general manager Ho Mei Mei and other hotel executives, the celebration started at the hotel lobby with the traditional lion dance and lighting of fire crackers, which are customary beliefs to ward off unwelcome spirits. Coins were also tossed to symbolize prosperity.

After these rites, guests including THHM’s corporate accounts, travel agencies, other industry partners and friends from the media proceeded to the Heritage Ballroom where they were greeted by the wishing gong. The guests tried to hit the center of the gong with a coin as they made their wishes. Those who successfully hit it received gift vouchers from the hotel.

As soon as everyone had settled in, the guests were warmly welcomed by the program hosts THHM sales manager Harold Alvarez and marketing communications assistant Cyril Lorilla. Director of marketing Noriele Roldan delivered the opening remarks on behalf of THHM’s general manager Joseph Kong.

The program began with the tossing of the Yu Sheng salad or “lo hei,” which was led by THHM marketing communications manager Regina Kabigting. This ceremony is a tradition that started in Singapore and is usually celebrated on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year or “ren ri” which literally means “people’s day” or “everyone’s birthday.” The different ingredients used in the salad are symbolical. The peanut, which is also known for its longevity, means eternal youth. The fish is for abundance and pomelo represents good luck. The guests made their wishes for the New Year as they poured over the ingredients on the salad step by step. THHM is the only hotel who practices this ceremony during Chinese New Year celebration.

Prosperity for the guests began at THHM when they received ang pao containing forecast according to their Chinese zodiac signs. But two of them were lucky enough to find the numbers 8880 and 880 in their ang pao, which were then exchanged for the real coins. Another guest was more lucky when he was able to guess the nearest amount worth of coins actually collected from the wishing gong – R2,717.75. THHM Sales and F&B promotions manager Geena Zablan awarded him the prize. Other prizes include an overnight stay at a deluxe room with buffet breakfast for two.

The guests partook of authentic Chinese dishes during the celebration such as braised Dried Oyster with Black Sea Moss and Vegetables (prosperity), Steamed Whole Lapu-Lapu “Teochew” Style (abundance), Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee (long life) and Fried Glutinous Rice with Assorted Meat (unity).

Among the VIPs invited were Singapore Embassy’s defense attache Col. Robert Tan, wife Juliet and daughter Renette and charge d’ affaires Paul Koh; consul of Mongolia Tony Rufino, THHM legal counsel Atty. Bonifacio Alentajan, Atty. Eliseo Fernandez, Santos, Lopez Auditing Firm and Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Fong.

The Heritage Hotel Manila is managed by the Singapore-based Millennium & Copthorne Limited (M&C). Ranked as Asia’s largest hotel group, it’s London based subsidiary, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc, has, under its hotel division, Millennium Hotels & Resorts, a stable of 91 hotels in 17 countries.