元宵节 (Yuan Xiao Jie) a.k.a. Lantern Festival

Last last Sunday, it was the 14th of January of the Lunar Calender. That is also the 2nd last day of the Chinese New Year. Childhood friends visited my house for a 'bai nian'. We did a lot of fun things that night, we watch tv, chit chat and also GAMBLE!! Luckily, I didn't lose any money, but, I didn't win much either, just a ringgit.




The next day, it is the last day of Chinese New Year. I went to my uncle's house at Kota Damansara to celebrate. There was a Lion Dance performance at my uncle's house.

Lion Dance is a traditional dance in the Chinese culture. Lion Dance troupes from Chinese martial art troupes will visit houses and shops to perform the traditional custom of "cai ching" (採青). The Lion Dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to an individual's business.




Other than the Lion Dance, my uncle's friend also invited Shaolin Monks from the Shaolin Temple of China. They performed a few well known stunts. The first one is the iron head stunt, the monk first concentrates his energy fully on his head, then breaks a genuine metal bar with his head, without pain.

The second stunt is the 'bending spear with neck' stunt. The monk bends up to 4 spears using only his neck.

Example:

This is the first time in my life I have seen Shaolin monks doing such stunts RIGHTINFRONT of my eye..!!! That was a day not to forget.