In Macau, thousands of local residents joined with tourists from around the world on Monday evening to celebrate Chinese New Year by braving intermittent rain to watch a special parade featuring 688 performers and 14 floats.

According to a report from local radio and television broadcaster Teledifusao De Macau, the Parade For Celebrating The Year Of The Rooster was organized by the Macau Government Tourism Office in partnership with the Macau Civic And Municipal Affairs Bureau, Macau Sports Bureau and Macau Cultural Affairs Bureau and saw 688 performers and 14 floats travel the 1.3 miles along Avenue Dr Sun Yat-Sen from the Macau Science Center to the Macau Tower.

“We will continue to enhance the scale of events Macau has so as to attract a more diversified visitor base and we also hope there will be more public participation for events like this,” Helena De Senna Fernandes, Director for the Macau Government Tourism Office, reportedly told those assembled for the start of the parade.

Teledifusao De Macau reported that Fernandes declared that she hopes to turn the former Portuguese enclave into “a world tourism and leisure center” while the Monday celebrations, which also received support from the China National Tourism Administration, were rounded off with a large fireworks display over Sai Van Lake.

“I was a little worried about the rain because of my children,” one unnamed bystander told Teledifusao De Macau, which added that city officials had operated a shuttle bus service that allowed spectators from around the city to make their way to the parade route for free. “I wish there was an awning or tarp to cover us.”

The festivities moreover included a concert featuring local performers Ari, Alan Tse, Viviana Lo and C AllStar along with Hong Kong-based couple Fred and Joyce Cheng while the entire affair was broadcast live on giant screens across the city as well as across the world including to the United States, Australia, Singapore and Canada via TVB Satellite TV.

“This is my first time in Macau,” another unnamed spectator told Teledifusao De Macau. “The atmosphere is very lively and I wanted to see how Macau celebrates the Chinese New Year.”

Teledifusao De Macau reported that the Macau Government Tourism Office will be holding a second parade on Saturday complete with the same array of performers that is scheduled to run the one mile from Rua Norte Do Patane to Iao Hon Market Park.