Manila's Binondo district is preparing to celebrate the Lunar New Year beginning Friday (Feb. 9).

Festivities for the Year of the Wooden Dragon began a week before, with the neighborhood decking the streets with lanterns and filling temples with incense.

While still recovering from the pandemic years and struggling amid global economic concerns, Chinese restaurants and shops in the area were dressed up for the occasion in the hopes of being visited by local and foreign tourists, the Associated Press reported.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna kickstarted the festivities earlier this week by lighting a "money tree" and leading a ceremony at Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz - the district's public square - marking what she and other city officials claimed as the 430th anniversary of the establishment of Binondo, which was considered to be the oldest Chinatown in the world.

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Return of the Chinese Fiesta in Manila

The Coronavirus pandemic halted the influx of tourists in the Philippines, with Binondo being one of the hardest hit due to its connections with China and Taiwan.

However, as restrictions were phased out, crowds returned in force this week, with traffic jams and parking lots filled to capacity.

The Manila Times reported that beginning Friday midnight local time, several roads leading to and from Binondo would be closed to vehicle traffic, including the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, a prominent crossing in the Pasig River connecting Manila's Chinatown with its Old City.

The Malacañang also declared Friday and Saturday (Feb. 9-10) special non-working holidays throughout the country, as there are also smaller Chinatowns in regional centers such as Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo.

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