San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade 1985: The Year of the Ox; Part 2

China town. Chinese to me. Oh you. Must be born an ox. You know I guess I really don't know a lot about that kind of thing. I was born and. My my real name. Time you. Were in Portsmouth Square with all the old Chinese men. You know what I like. All the pretty pictures. The whole week.

That's OK. People get bored. The Lions of San Francisco.

Color. Their series of retreats. Their 20 30 is among lifelong friends who want to perform fundraising efforts. They're all. Standing. There.

It brag.

About. Joining up with. The devil. My ears are hurting a little bit. You're right. It always amazes me how horses get scared of all the noise and commotion. I do it more through their studies of different visions of life for example. Well. You. Know.

He. Has a boarding pass a reviewing stand. There. Just of the. Right. I don't know. Now we're looking at the black pipe band from San Francisco. Fifteen member unit Scottish military bagpipe band dressed in costumes. They're.

Just. Liars. Rose Bowl Parade with the. Float that carried the. Torch of. Liberty. The earlier we heard from two engine lurking actors. In this done until the need for it all they're going to let us in on one of the best kept secrets in Chinatown were to buy the best players records. You're the artist brisket we call firecrackers. We want to come on down every morning. We want you want to let us take the life of someone down for a bottle rockets for you. Real free. Come on down. That's all tongue in cheek of course. Tongue in cheek of course.

What's going on now. What. OK. Down here we have a gentleman from Taiwan has officially you were born in Taiwan. Yes. How do you really like the firecrackers and what do you mean. Well the firecrackers let's get into it here. We don't have a lot of time here right here and they're going to hear and then they watch. What. He's.

Trying to raise some money. For. A lot of people down there are really impressive. But these are. Different. It's very unusual see this one. This is a different style of dance. We've seen this person. Get hired. Will they pick somebody smaller to the top of the shoulders of. The other person. Now we. See. The parade. For. Very little.

Two people standing on top cloaks dancing. They certainly have a flair in the style of their own but here in San Francisco. Young people. A wonderful way. With the culture. Yes. That's true. Here they can share what they've learned their love their culture and heritage with everyone. For years they would just

say this. Yeah. OK now our next unit is the Gay Freedom marching band clearly from San Francisco. This of course is a large margin unit. Will be. Carrying the flags of San Francisco. Health.

Warning. But. There. Are. Other uniforms. Much more much more. Black with uniforms.

Looking more much more like a uniform and what they used to were before. They were made. Yes I think so.

There we go. A. Little. Boy sounding. He was performing at the Miss trying to put on a great show there. He's from Hollywood performing your own production of

the revival of it. That's the school at Stanford. That's true. You. Know. That's. Several. Yes. Looking at a dance group. Obviously there are a couple size in the year of the Ox. But there's also a thing lying on the floor to. Dial down

their group and girls. This is one of the stellar. Organizations of British dissipates of the breed every year. They won first place in their category in this parade for the past two years. Let's see whether they do it again this year. He was.

There from the School of the. Ground. Teaching. Art. Which A. Martial arts. Class.

You can see what profession performers they are that not only have they participated in this parade before but they've also performed at the Los Angeles County Fair the. Opening. Ceremonies of the games. And lots of other halftime activities as well. Certainly a lot of time and effort to polish there. Yes. It. This. Is. Really the.

Show. This is Chinatown. And it is going to be down the street now. What are. The finalists. Right. Right. Wonderful had a great time. The highlight.

Was. To get the first interview tonight. That's right. She's surrounded by her court this Chinese Chamber of Commerce in this Chinatown San Francisco. And contestants who came from Sacramento from Texas from Washington from Chicago. The Detroit area. And even the. Beach one. Very lovely. Very talented. And anxious to represent their community. This is going toward 99 for. A new board meeting my. Aging lion dance troop. They're performing the traditional

lion dance using two lions. The lion is older and wiser. It's decorated with the Phoenix which is a symbol of peace trying to say that the places travels to the more knowledgeable chains and thus acquire more colors. In the background there behind the more colorful one is the lion. He is the considered the young lion. It has horns to signify that it is a fighting lion. This is the first time this group has been in the fray they recently broke off from the dance. Itself. School boards

to. That is probably. A. Challenge. If. That was deliberate. I'm sure. But she's so graceful in recovering it. I think Mel's got somebody he wants to share with us Mel what's going on down on the parade route. Well everybody down here is really excited about the fact that the dragon is coming. Never want to wonder what kind of a sound a dragon makes what kind of a sound is a dragon maybe.

That's not a sound has a dragon. That sounds scary to sound as a dragon may want to talk to you and what kind of sound is a dragon make. That's right now and that will get out of the way. Dragon been waiting for the dragon. Yeah where is it. What do you want to say. OK well you can say. Yes this is dramatic. All right let's go back to the what we're joining the fray now with the Mandarin drug lord this group of sacramental and there are people. Who are. As you can see they're dressed in black uniforms but they have a shocking trill

something that definitely stands out here tonight. But.

This is a common ancestors. 300 to me. High school reform.

We were trying to get home. Well. Great fun. This. Was my first language and I didn't want to. Have to learn. This.

I remember that just last week. It was worth. Exploring here that I was

coming up next year. I'm a person myself. Right.

Very true. People work hard all year long. For this magical moment to be here in front of 50000 A. Very. Very whopper. But Shelly perhaps but I think it was a. Couple years ago ruled by a heavy downpours just never let up for. Me. But now. They are. Different.

But. There would certainly be Earth. They're. There in their hand in the cowgirl but not of the Westerners. That's true. This club was started as 1958 by trying to prove. They are not as active now but they used to perform contemporary plays as well.

They're made up of 40 members all together ranging in age from 20 to 65 years old. This atmosphere here participating in that Chinese is for it. If you get. A. Lot of work went into getting ready for that you would be ready for this one. Faces. One day.

This is from San Francisco. Fifty participants in this particular unit. Into question. There's also a but. They're also going to show. In the. Calendar. The. Academy is made up of youngsters who are only 12 to 15 years old. That's the drawing board and the baton to be made of youngsters even younger than that. Now are only six or seven years old carrying the pictures of the animals or the. Letter. Or dancing. Yes.

These two young ladies are. Under the watchful eye of the Feinstein from City Hall and other dignitaries who want to get the chance. To do that with the sure they have things in their gear. That's just one line and not to be self-conscious at all. Jazzercise or. A.

Tiger. A. They. Are there. It's. A. These are really cute. Open your heart and soul into the whole

performance of the night. Time past their bedtime. Right. There they are free cold air and putting on a fine performance but. Scary. With a solution. Up that you could hear in the background the firecrackers. That's Just fair warning new Dragon is coming right up the street now about a block away. The big attraction of the parade which we were talking about all along the wall of the Golden Dragon. Well if you're trying to tell me as I mentioned how the brain of a dragon from Hong Kong. And as everyone

knows a new dragon needs to be blessed to catch a glimpse of the wall. Let's take a look at the ritual took place earlier during the New Year's celebration. Up. Up. Up. Up. Or. Was. It. And. That. Was. Absolute. That. Was.

The. Next big attraction. And we're looking at her court right right in front of the right now. As a matter of factness trying to say this for the dragon during that period I was 21 years old as a student. Yes. Did you catch. The beauty contestants. And of course beauty precedes the Miss.

Which. I leave. To my time. Here. Tonight. Thank God that the trolls Morecambe this childish little dragnet that we've been waiting for. Looking right now it. Was. Just San Francisco. Others will find the answers and it's their job to say it will drag is not very probable. This year we should negotiate under one strike. And I understand even the mayor herself is going to play a role in all of this as well.

Now you have us. All right everybody is excited he was. Gone I. Mean. Thanks for the language was a whole thing and. It is. Just. The way we're. Looking. Back. To. It is going to make one. Will probably. Stand. And then I understand.

You. Are you say. What. You. Would hear in. The possible. We warn you. This is going to be the. Noisiest. And. Most. Certainly the climax. Tradition was really a. Protector of the. Force of the.

Talent level was. 160. You could have a half. A. Bag. Of. Transport. It. I.

Hear that the dragon is during the settle down. Like St.. What. Just watching the firecrackers. The. Year before that I noticed that my husband was diligently trying to claim his place there at the head of the Dragon. But you'd think there would be a place for me almost a hundred people there.

He's got it. He's holding it. There are a hundred people. That are describing. Longer than four now. Now we're looking at trackers that are being practically thrown and I. See her and if you don't mind I think I did. But there we go. I think. I think. This is going to be. Great. This is certainly a much more colorful. Dragon that we have the pen old with the old one is still in good condition. It's just merely stored away for the time being.

We're taking a back seat wells ever just gets to see the brand new film. Like. All along with the fact that Mayor Feinstein really played some role here totally in the sense that you know what you're going to use it for. She is going to be the official version of the light the fireworks you know right behind me are primetime Let's listen and see what's happening I'll be able to some secret conversation. But. What do you wish for San Francisco they share a lot and prosperity and health and happiness. But she's moving into light and now she looks a little nervous. What does the mayor look nervous. I don't mind. This is a tense moment here. I don't want to stand too close to this I know you keep saying go but I don't want to go.

Straight to stardom but. Also. A hero. A hero. What. She really did try to get the capping off the

streets in San Francisco. KQED the production crew and camera producers. Everyone has a great job trying to give us the best view and this is really the finest coverage I've ever had the opportunity for a bit. You know I could never hold back. San Francisco doubling as a brand new Dragon is. One that we can all be very proud of and you are part of history tonight seeing its make its debut on the streets of San Francisco. There are some other fireworks going on around here people are having fun celebrating now they feel

that I'm still lettuce. If you were pretty safe where we are even though you want to smoke blowing by. Someone's going to clean up all those off the street the firecrackers leave behind but. That's a small job you compared all the pleasure that is provided so many people tonight. At the foot of the Dragon is. Three inches thick. Now is that a happy looking dragon or not you know looks like it looks as though even he said this was the way San Francisco brought him for his debut tonight. That was a real welcome down there with the leader of the Dragon. What do you what do you have down there Mel. The leader of the Dragon What's your name Richard. Well I got to go on my twice and I how does your wife get you to do this Richard. She was in favor of the first one I don't know about this the second one. I see but I enjoyed the second I mean what do you have to say to everybody in San Francisco right now. Joy that's sad. Yeah yeah yeah whatever is a language hopefully everybody learns at that. Kids

in all the schools my son know learning all about it at school and I love that part of it has been a wonderful evening. I think everyone just did beautifully. All the marching units everyone. From. Top to bottom had a fantastic job. Well thank you for joining us tonight I think we really did. Have. Let's hear a last word from Roberta in Melbourne. Let's check in with you first. What did you think of tonight's parade. It wasn't bad. What I thought when you jumped on the float it was the most heroic thing I've ever seen a street interview I do. Congratulations eggs. OK I like the art. Let me shake your mike there. Goodnight and God how by choice. Throw that back to the right. But what it what it to get a look at then you know have a great year. And you're going to be a great year for all of us by choice. Good night.