Bangkok--18 Jan--francomasia The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will present on Chinese New Year’s Day (7 February) the 2008 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade to usher in the Year of the Rat. Heralding the theme of “Riding High — Hong Kong Spectacular!”, the parade will follow a new route, with specially designed colourful floats, both local and international performing groups, and interactive elements that are sure to bring spectators an entertaining and memorable evening.The Hon James Tien, Chairman of the HKTB, said that the Chinese New Year parade has successfully become a signature event of the festivities. “After more than a decade of promotions, the parade has become a ‘must-see’ for visitors coming to Hong Kong during the festival. The event, coupled with other New Year celebrations, will once again boast Hong Kong’s vibrant culture and attract tourists to come and experience the festive atmosphere.” This parade marks the 13th staging and the 10th consecutive time of being sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways. Mr John Slosar, Chief Operating Officer of Cathay Pacific Airways said, “Cathay Pacific is proud to be title sponsor of the International Chinese New Year Parade for the 10th consecutive year. As Hong Kong’s airline it is part of our job to support events and attractions that make this city a more attractive place to live and a more exciting place to visit, and the parade is truly a world-class spectacle — one that highlights the colour, tradition and magic of this great city.”New elements The parade this year will feature a combination of 11 brightly illuminated floats, 12 overseas and 13 local performing groups, which epitomises the cosmopolitan image of Hong Kong. Among the participating groups from 11 countries and regions, 10 are participating the event for the first time, such as the Baltic Sea Group, El Sol de Espana (Spain), and Tahiti Ballet with Fire-Eater (Polynesia). Following a completely new route, the parade will start at Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui and proceed along Salisbury Road to Mody Lane, then U-turn and end at New World Centre. Spectators will be able to get the best view of the parade from three designated performance zones set up along Salisbury Road. To create a memorable Lunar New Year experience, the HKTB will inject new interactive elements into this year’s event, for instance, spectators will be mesmerised by the stilt-walking stunts by French performing group, Futuristic Ostriches, and be able to admire for the first time ever in the event, traditional piu sik parade (children on float) performed by Zhanjiang Wuzhou Piu Sik together with Piu Sik team from Hong Kong’s Cheung Chau Island. The local performing groups participating in this year’s event are all carefully selected by a selection committee to ensure they showcase the vitality of Hong Kong.