BEIJING:WITH SENSITIVITIES high over the first anniversary of the Tibetan riots, mid-March is not a good time to hold a parade in the Chinese capital, so the Irish celebrated at the St Patrick's Day Ball and by showcasing the country's achievements at a cultural festival in a shopping mall instead.
Yesterday was an ordinary working day in China so the festivities mostly took place in the days leading up to St Patrick’s Day.
Moreover, the financial crisis meant no Minister attended this year which did not mean the celebrations were in any way muted, even if people were keeping an eye on their outgoings.
Irish Ambassador Declan Kelleher and his wife Sigrun hosted a well-attended reception in the embassy, while consul general Conor O’Riordan hosted an event at the Four Seasons hotel in Shanghai.
Last year saw the first parade in Beijing but it coincided with anti-Chinese demonstrations in Lhasa and other Tibetan areas of China. Since then heightened security means a parade was never likely to happen in Beijing.
Instead there was an Irish cultural festival in a mall on the Wangfujing shopping street on Sunday, which attracted a local crowd keen to check out the Irish dancing and music on display.
The Irish community came in dribs and drabs over the day, many still fairly tired after the ball in Beijing’s Kerry Centre on the night before which had nearly 700 revellers dancing until early in the morning.
There were no such political headaches in the country’s financial capital, Shanghai, where 1,500 people marched behind a lone piper and the two Chino-Irish dragons, Shamrock and Finbarr, in the largest St Patrick’s Day parade held in China.
Taking part were representatives from many Irish colleges and universities, including UCC, UCD, Trinity College, NUIG and the University of Limerick, who joined members of Shanghai’s vocal and busy Irish community in front of 2,000 spectators.
The parade was led by the consul general, resplendent in a Chinese-made green felt jacket.
Traditional musicians Caladh were flown in specially for Ireland Week and considerable dancing entertainment was provided by the Fudan University Irish dance troupe, the Chinese Community Irish tap dance group and children from the Irish community who danced and sang Irish songs.
Politics did rear its head at one stage in Shanghai when, for a still unexplained reason, Rule Britannia was played during the Irish dancing, but luckily the real music came on soon afterwards.
In Singapore, St Patrick was delivered to Boat Quay on Sunday by the Gaelic Dragon Boat groups to lead Singapore’s fourth St Patrick’s Day parade.
