The 5th annual Chinafest took place on September 5th in the big city. A day filled with Asian culture, dance, songs, artistry and more! I hadn't visited in a long time. It was unfortunate that the weather was at its most miserable on that particular day. Cold, wet and windy. Not conducive to successful photos. I knew there would be a dense crowd so I didn't want to carry a lot of gear. I opted to leave my tripod at home even though I knew it would have been useful to get a great shot of the dancers on stage. I also only took one lens (18-105 mm), which offers a good range for street photography, as I did not want the hassle of having to change it amongst said crowd. Here are a few candid shots.
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Am 5. September "tanzte der Drache" bereits zum fünften Mal in
Düsseldorf. Das Chinafest ist in der Stadt ein fester Bestandteil des
Veranstaltungskalenders und lockt jedes Jahr zahlreiche
Besucher auf den Jan Wellem Platz mit einem bunten Programm aus Gesang, Tanz und Artistik. Zudem gibt es Aktionen für Kinder sowie Teezeremonien zum
Mitmachen. Leider war es an diesem Tag besonders verregnet und sehr windig. Nicht gerade ideal, um gute Fotos zu machen. Bei so vielen Menschen habe ich meine Fotoausrüstung auf nur ein Objektiv, das 18-105mm, da es sich gut für solche Events eignet beschränkt, und mein Stativ ganz bewußt zuhause gelassen. Nachfolgend ein paar Impressionen.
The event took place on the old town square. When I arrived it was packed already. I was immediately transported back to my childhood home, except it was quite surreal seeing the typical Asian decor juxtaposed to the old buildings, the statue of Jan Wellem (on a horse) and cobblestone!
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Bei meiner Ankunft waren schon viele Menschen auf dem Marktplatz vor dem Rathaus versammelt. Die Szene erinnerte mich stark an den Wohnort meiner Kindheit, naja, bis auf die alten Gebäude, der Statue von Jan Wellem und das Kopfsteinpflaster! 
Look how windy it was!
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Hier seht Ihr wie windig es war!
Traditional snacks, like steamed dumplings and deep fried meatballs were on offer. I tried the vegetarian dimsum, which were delicious!
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In einigen Zelten gab es asiatische Köstlichkeiten zu probieren, z.B. gedämpfte Klöße, Nudeln und Frittiertes. Ich habe die vegetarischen Dim Sum probiert. Sie waren sehr lecker!
The stage was too far away to get any great shots even with the lens fully extended. These are the best of the lot.
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Die Bühne war leider zu weit weg, um gute Fotos zu bekommen. Dafür hätte ich die 300mm benötigt, aber die wollte ich nicht mitschleppen.
The Panda mascot taking a break with friends :)
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Das Panda Maskottchen macht mal Pause :)
Traditionally dressed girl texting :)
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Traditionell gekleidetes Mädchen beim Simsen :)
I don't know about you, but there is something creepy about this photo.
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Geht's nur mir so, oder findet Ihr diese Figur am Eingang auch etwas gruselig?
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well it doesn't look like the weather kept anyone from attending. I love all the colorful tents and decorations.
ReplyDeletehow fun! I think it would look quite strange to see the traditional Asian colors / tents decor in among the German buildings! We loved our trip to Germany and really enjoyed all the architecture as it is quite different from ours. For a cloudy day you did a superb job capturing the sights!
ReplyDeleteHallo liebe Duni,
ReplyDeletees war zwar wohl eins ehr windiger Tag, aber Du hast schöne Eindrücke mitgebracht, bunt und vielfältig und das Essen war bestimmt sehr lecker.
Viele liebe Grüße, Synnöve
This is a so bright and colorful, hard to tell in not in China. I love China town in SF... I think it is as closed to Asian culture I have ever been. :) Pretty pictures Duni!!!
ReplyDeleteColorful collection of photos! I have always wanted to visit China to see all its vibrant decor. We have a China Town in Boston that is fun to visit. I wonder what the symbolism is behind that lion statue. Hopefully it is just that parent playing with its little one where kittens like to play on their back!
ReplyDeleteWhat colorful and vibrant shots. Those festivals are always so much fun and you captured it all with your lens. I truly enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteThis looks so colorful and fun! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLiebe Duni,
ReplyDeleteguten Morgen und danke schön für diese herrlichen Eindrücke! Eigentlich wollte ich in diesem Jahr auhc mal dahin, aber es kam, wie so oft, was dazwischen .... Durch Deine Bilder war ich wenigstens ein kleines Stück dabei, danke dafür :O)
Ich wünsche Dir einen schönen und glücklichen Tag :O)
♥ Allerliebste Grüße , Claudia ♥
I love how all the tents match!
ReplyDeleteI agree that there's something a little odd about the blue lion standing on the little lion. What's up with that?
I love cultural street festivals like this! I'm glad the weather wasn't too bad so you could enjoy yourself. :-)
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