Chic Delights: Modern Shanghai

January 31st was the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Wood Horse. The Chinese New Year is usually represented by an animal and one of the five elements of metal,water, wood, fire and earth. The Wood Horse symbolises loyalty, independence, determination and unexpected adventures. This New Year celebration will be full of parades, eating and fireworks. Many will be celebrating the arrival of the New Year with a huge and delicious feast of Chinese food with family and friends then end with a fantastic fireworks.

Holt Renfrew's tribute to the Horse with style.

Hermès has a long tradition with designing with horses.

When we were in Manila last October, we dined at the Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant at the Edsa Shangri-la Hotel. The Chinese consider red and anything circular as lucky and prosperous.

This is called the Birthday Noodle Dish. It is an egg noodle with a variety of seafood and vegetables. For the Chinese, Seafood plays a large role in festive celebrations. For instance, shrimps represent liveliness, happiness and well-being. Abalone represents abundance and good fortune, scallops represents a new start or the opening of new horizons and fish represents both wish and abundance. The noodle dish also have some Chicken which is considered healthy and symbolises prosperity and completeness. The noodles and green leafy vegetables represent a long life.(Source: Mandarin Oriental Manila Chinese New Year)

This was our meal with my friends at Modern Shanghai, Makati, Philippines. The restaurant's speciality is the Xiao Long Bao which is the round dimsum in the basket as shown above filled with ground beef and soup inside. Eating anything rounded in shape symbolises money, profit and good fortune. Lastly, rice is served at the end of the meal to signify fertility, luck and abundance in wealth. Anything golden in colour like the fried rice we had above represents abundance in wealth. (Source: Mandarin Oriental Manila Chinese New Year)

With the symbolism of the Chinese Feast above, I wish you all a blessing in abundance, prosperity, health, happiness and for sure a delicious feast with family and friends.

The Chinese Zodiac is different from the Western Horoscope. The Chinese Zodiac uses different Animal Signs. Your animal sign is determined by the Year of your birth. Discover your good fortune and predictions for the 2014 Year Of The Wood Horse.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Happy Chinese New Year!