?Boxer Rebellion? To Be Featured in Iloilo Chinese New Year
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 27 Jan 2008
ILOILO CITY -- Officials of the Iloilo Chinese-Filipino Cultural Association vowed to showcase "the best Chinese culture and tradition" through songs, dances, and martial arts, including the Boxer Rebellion during the five-day 2008 Chinese New Year celebration in Plazoleta Gay, Iznart St., City Proper on Feb. 6-10.
Beginning in 1898, groups of peasants in northern China began to band together into a secret society known as I-ho ch'?an ("Righteous and Harmonious Fists"), called the "Boxers" by Western press. Members of the secret society practiced boxing and calisthenic rituals (hence the nickname, the "Boxers") which they believed would make them impervious to bullets. At first, the Boxers wanted to destroy the Ch'ing dynasty (which had ruled China for over 250 years) and wanted to rid China of all foreign influence (which they considered a threat to Chinese culture). When the Empress Dowager backed the Boxers, the Boxers turned solely to ridding China of foreigners.
By late 1899, bands of Boxers were massacring Christian missionaries and Chinese Christians. By May 1900, the rebellion had come out of the countryside and was being waged in the capital of Peking (now Beijing). To help their fellow countrymen and to protect their interests in China, an international force of 2,100 American, British, Russian, French, Italian, and Japanese soldiers were sent to subdue the "rebellion."
On June 18, 1900, the Empress Dowager ordered all foreigners to be killed. Several foreign ministers and their families were killed before the international force could protect them. On August 14, 1900, the international force took Peking and subdued the rebellion.
The Boxer Rebellion weakened the Ch'ing dynasty's power and hastened the Republican Revolution of 1911 that overthrew the boy emperor and made China a republic.
"This year, we will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a five-day activity, the first time that we will do this in six years (that we have been celebrating the Chinese New Year in Iloilo)," announced Dr. Roland L. Uy, chairman of the Iloilo Chinese-Filipino Cultural Association during a press conference at the Days Hotel January 22 here.
In China, Chinese New Year is celebrated in 15 days which is the beginning of Spring Festival, he stressed.
They have invited Cebu-based Consul General He Shi Jing of the Chinese Consulate of the People's Republic of China, Uy said, among other dignitaries from the People's Republic of China.
Uy said they have stand-bye generators during the parade, cultural show and night market just in case there will be power interruptions although most of their activities will be held inside Robinsons Place.
UNITY
Mayor Jerry Tre?as said this year's Chinese New Year "is a celebration of unity that we can find here." The activities, he said, "are very nice example of private-government partnership. "
"Every year, we open new chapters in the celebration. We are very pleased to have a partnership with the Chinese-Filipino community," Tre?as said.
Dr. Carmen Santos, principal of Iloilo Central Commercial High School (ICCHS) and official of the association, said this year's celebration "will be an experience of a lifetime because we are going to show the different features and splendor of China and the Beijing Olympics."
"The event this year will be more spectacular," declared Santos whose school will sponsor the exhibit from Feb. 6 to 10, including the 'Pot-Pourri', a Chinese festival of dances in the mall's fountain area.
Meanwhile, Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director Edwin Trompeta dubbed as "tourism bonanza" or "golden week of tourism" the coming celebration of Chinese New Year.
"We are looking into the investment and tourism potentials the event will bring here when some 100 million Chinese tourists start to travel during the celebration," Trompeta said.
Five schools will participate in the five-day celebration which will be culminated with the display of world class pyrotechnics and live band performance. The schools are Iloilo Sun Yat Sen High School, ICCHS, Iloilo Scholastic Academy, Ateneo de Iloilo-SMCS, and Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus.
Top photo: Company of boxers at Tien-tien, China, circa 1901. Photo courtesy of Whiting Bros.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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