Kuching - Chinese New Year Bazaar

Like Hari Raya for the Malays and Muslims, Chinese New Year is the biggest festive occassion for the Chinese in Malaysia. Weeks before the New Year, families would start their preparations by cleaning the house and doing the shopping for CNY goodies and things to brighten up the house. CNY bazaars will spring up everywhere to cater to the shoppers.

For as long as I can remember, Kenyalang Park has been one of the most popular areas for CNY shopping. It is a large residential suburb which is near the Kuching town centre - in fact one of the first planned suburbs in Kuching. The commercial area also boasts the first pedestrian malls in Kuching, hence the popularity for shoppers as stalls are set up in the malls. 

This year, probably due to the bleak economic climate, there are not as many stalls, and the crowd was also not as heavy as in previous years.

There are endless varieties of CNY goodies on display. Making up your mind is not easy !

Flowers both fake and real are available to decorate the house.

Last minute shopping for new clothes.

A lovely lass selling "Nian Kao". Nian Kao or Chinese New Year cake is ubiquitous for CNY. "Nian" in Chinese means year, and "Kao" means high, so having lots of Nian Kao will ensure that you become more successful year after year. Also, this sticky cake is offered to the Kitchen God so that his mouth will be too full and filled with sticky cake to give a negative report when he return to heaven.

A little girl selling all kinds of sweet preserved fruits. Sweet things are served during Chinese New Year and each particular item has a symbolic meaning. I wouldn't go into the details here but you can Google "Sweet Things for Chinese New Year" to find out more.