Bay Area Rings In Year Of The Horse
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Kicking off the Year of the Horse, a parade with lion dancers and firecrackers marched through San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood Friday morning.
The Year of the Snake has come to an end and the start of Lunar New Year 4712 has arrived and is being celebrated by the Bay Area's Asian-American community.
The Year Of The Horse Kicks Off In San Francisco's Chinatown
The parade began at 10 a.m. at Walter Lum Place between Washington and Clay streets and traveled along Clay Street to Kearny Street.
"The horse has always symbolized strength, positive-ess, overcoming all the different challenges and so we're here to celebrate, kick off the year. The next two weeks will be a lot of family celebrations, a lot of community celebrations," San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who was among attendees of the parade, said.
Members of the San Francisco Police Department's mounted unit were also attended—fittingly on horseback—along with members of San Francisco's Community Youth Center carrying a 200-foot long golden dragon and a water snake.
San Francisco Police Capt. Ann Mannix, in charge of the tactical division said that mounted unit won't march in the large, official parade in two weeks.
"Traditionally the horses are not involved in the parade because of the sensitivity, sensory issue," she said.
The San Francisco Chinese New Year parade on Feb 15, which includes massive floats and parade contingents from local businesses and community groups and travels on portions of Market Street to Chinatown, is the largest outside of Asia.
More information about other upcoming Lunar New Year events in San Francisco can be found online at www.sanfranciscochinatown.com.
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