SECURITY CONCERNS may have halted the parade, but Shanghai’s Irish community ensured St Patrick still made an appearance in China’s financial hub. Hundreds showed up to mark An Féile Beag in a downtown mall.
“We’re delighted with the day, we had a great turnout and it was a fantastic demonstration of Irish culture in Shanghai,” said Eoin Murphy, director of Féile Shanghai, which organised the event. Organisers estimate about 600 people came.
The annual St Patrick’s Day parade had been scheduled to march down Nanjing Donglu street but city officials withdrew permission as the route runs close to Peace Square.
Citizens have been urged to gather there by anonymous online activists and stage protests similar to the Jasmine Revolution shaking the Middle East.
About 100 people appeared to congregate outside the Peace Cinema in Shanghai last week. Foreign journalists have been prevented from reporting at the phantom protest sites in Beijing and Shanghai.
Police have detained or placed under house arrest dozens of activists since calls for protests began last month and 20 people have been charged with subversion.
So, no marching, but plenty of traditional music and dancing in the atrium of the Shanghai Centre, which is also home to the Irish consulate, as people put disappointment about the parade’s cancellation behind them and partied.
“The féile showed a certain amount of resilience and an ability to turn around something very enjoyable in a short period of time,” said Mr Murphy. There are about 500 Irish people in Shanghai. “We’re very hopeful the parade will be back next year. We had a number of Chinese officials in the crowd and they went away with a positive impression.”
There was also a Study In Ireland exhibition at which leading Irish universities provided information to people who want to learn more about studying in Ireland. Lord Mayor of Cork Michael O’Connell and his wife attended the event.
The celebrations continued into the evening. Comedian Brendan Grace provided the jokes and Anglo-Cypriot Riverdanceinterpreter Stavros Flatley and son got everyone dancing at the St Patrick's Day ball at the Shangri-La in the city's Pudong district.
In Beijing, there was an Irish evening at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in the capital yesterday.
In Beijing, the St Patrick’s Day parade will go ahead as planned next Sunday in Chaoyang Park, a few kilometres from the city centre.