Bok Kai Parade

The Bok Kai Festival in Marysville honors the Chinese god of water each year at Chinese New Year's and many think this festival is the reason that Marysville has not been flooded in over 100 years, although much surrounding area has been. (Others think an elaborate system of dykes and berms surrounding the city may be responsible. Who knows?)

The Bok Kai Parade is the highlight of the festival for Marysville and has about 10,000 people lining the streets to view it. It is the oldest annual parade in California. Chorro and I planned our visit here this year to allow us to see this historic event. And yes, this is the parade that had Miss Lilly dressed in her Sunday best.


The parade begins and ends with a Chinese emphasis, but the middle is filled with Americanized parade standards -- the dignitaries in sleek new models of cars that don't belong to them, the high school bands that are a delight no matter where one hears them, and assorted floats with excited children waving both hands while riding on them.


The Bok Kai parade begins with firecrackers and the sounding of the gong,

followed by the carrying of a banner which is symbolic for the Chinese community.

Although the "Parade Marshall" was a local non-Chinese man, the Bok Kai Hostess also had her own car and spot near the front of the parade.



For the Chinese, this is the Year of the Rat. This float acknowledged that with a cute take-off on "Ratatouille."



The Spanish appropriately claimed a few spots of significance, considering their ancestors have been here longer than either the Chinese or the Americans.



There were several entries representing schools of the martial arts, and this two and a half foot tall black-belt-to-be charmed everyone. Note the precision in his stance (compare him to the young lady on the upper right). This group held the stance motionlessly for perhaps a half minute or longer.



The lion dancers are a traditional part of the parade and they prepare the way for the dragon, the true star of the parade.



Here's the lion and the lion-hearted.



Of course, here was our little Lilly, sweetheart of the parade.



Oddly, there appeared four Scottish pipers. These guys brought a tear to my eye as I remembered the many parades I watched with my mother when she was still alive. The Fourth of July parade route passed in front of her house and we watched it together every year. Her father was Scottish and she eagerly waited for the several Scottish pipebands that came to the parade.


And here are more lion dancers. Their costumes are very elaborate and carefully made to withstand the very active performances of the lion dancers along the parade route.



And finally, with firecrackers set off in rhythmic blasts, the dragon comes racing in. The grey smoke you see in the center of this picture was created by the firecrackers. The dragon not only twists and turns but occasionally coils up and then uncoils. He not only looks fierce, but is fast moving and accompanied by lots of noise. The young men who are his "feet" are basically running in precision the whole route of the parade.



I must say that he made all other dragons in my memory pale in comparison.



Here is my favorite Bok Kai supporter wearing his Bok Kai bandana.

That is his little head at the lower center of the picture as he bravely protects us from this particularly fierce dragon.


Bok Kai was an exciting day.



And tomorrow is a new day.