JOHOR BAHRU: Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim officiated the launch of the Chingay Parade 2024 at Jalan Wong Ah Fook here tonight.
Raja Muda Johor Tunku Iskandar Abdul Jalil Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Princess Tunku Khalsom Aminah Sofiah also graced the parade, accompanied by Johor Menteri Besar Johor Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, state Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon and Unity, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman K Raven Kumar.
Tunku Mahkota Ismail arrived at 8.40 pm and officially launched the festival by sounding the gong at the main stage in front of Komtar JBCC.
The parade features 13 floats and at least 10 lion and dragon dance troupes that will embark on an eight-kilometre procession starting and ending at Xing Gong Temple, Jalan Ulu Air Molek here.
Spectators can also expect to be entertained by various traditional and cultural performances as well as a fireworks and wushu display.
Over 300,000 people have shown up to watch the annual parade, a highlight in Johor’s tourism calendar.
The Chingay Parade is a Chinese religious and cultural festival celebrated in this city since 1870, and has great significance to the Chinese community showcasing the unity and bond between five Chinese ethnic groups - Teochew, Hokkien, Hakka, Guangsiew and Hainanese. -Bernama
