THE flame-watching ceremony and festival to celebrate Chinese New Year will be held at the Ban Ka Lan Snake Temple in Bayan Lepas, Penang, on Jan 29, the fifth day of the lunar calendar. Held for the eighth year, the celebrations starting at 6pm will feature a warrior drum performance, snake charmer performance, mask-changing, chingay stunts and a dazzling 15-minute fireworks display among others. Visitors can also enjoy songs and a variety of exciting dances including a snake dance and a dragon dance. Organising committee chairman Cheah Cheng Ean said arts and handicraft booths would be set up. “They will showcase craft like wood carving, Chinese brush painting, shoe beading, stone drawing, henna drawing and aeroplane origami,” he said at a press conference at the temple. “There will be 21 arts and craft stalls. About 30 food stalls will also be set up to cater to everyone’s tastebuds. “The highlight of the celebrations will be the prediction of this year’s economy by the resident deity of the almost 200-year-old Snake Temple.” Cheah said the flame-watching ceremony would start at midnight. “There will be a projector set up outside the temple so the crowd can watch the ceremony. “As we are expecting a large turnout, we will close the service road in front of the temple at 4pm. “Devotees of the Cheng Chooi Chor Soo Kong deity will find out the prediction during the flame-watching ceremony.” Penang tourism development, arts, culture and heritage committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said devotees would be celebrating the principal birthday of the patron deity on the sixth day of the lunar calendar. “We are expecting some 20,000 to 30,000 people to turn up for the celebration,” said Yeoh.