60th Anniversary of New China
September 29th, 2009 by Staff
Parade in celebration of the 60th anniversary of New China, Toronto, 27th September 2009
People’s Republic of China was founded on lst October, 1949, as Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed to the world that the Chinese people had stood up. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of this momentous occasion, there were large scale parades in Toronto and Vancouver on Sunday, 27th September, 2009.
Over 40 community organizations and 8,000 Torontonians set out from Queen’s Park at noon. The participants were from a variety of origins indicating the diversity within the Chinese community. Among them were newer Canadians who came from across China: Beijing, Fujian, Hunan, Sichuan, Liaoning, Jiangxi, etc. There were acupuncturists and qigong practitioners.
Also in the parade were the associations that have been traditionally the backbone of Chinese community in Canada: those of the “four counties” – Taishan, Xinhui, Kaiping and Heshan in Guangdong province – from which the Chinese migrated to North America in the 19th and the first half of 20th centuries. Then there were the Wong clan, the Eng clan, the martial arts clubs, the Vietnamese/Cambodian/Laotian Chinese, and others. Members of these associations participated in marches of earlier decades (see article “30th September 1979”).
For the first time, a contingent of Toronto police officers of Chinese ancestry joined in such a parade. They were most impressive in their dress uniform and with their precision march.
There were, of course, the dragon and lion dances, present on all auspicious occasions.
Many Canadians of European, African, and other non-Chinese ancestry also participated in the festivities.
Among the dignitaries were the Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto Madam Zhu Taoying, her husband Consul Huo Mingwu, and the mayor of Barrie Dave Aspden.
Amidst the sounds of drums, gongs, cymbals and joyous music, the participants in colourful attire paraded through the Spadina Avenue/Dundas Street Chinatown to the Dundas Square at Yonge Street. At the square, the spectators were treated to a variety of Chinese performing arts. The dancers from the Toronto Yanxin Life Science and Technology Cultural Centre led the entertainment by performing folk dances of different ethnic groups in China: Han, Mongolian, Uygur, Tibetan, Korean, Bai, and others.
From diverse origins, all of the participants were united in celebrating China’s “big birthday” as 60 years mark a new cycle in the Chinese calendar.
In Vancouver, over 2000 people representing over 60 community organizations participated in the parade.