Festive frenzy

It is not a national holiday here on Christmas day but a lot of effort can be seen year after year to decorate the retail stores, shopping centers and streets with festive ornaments, colorful lighting, all the way till New Year's Day and then the Lunar New Year season. Quite impressed with what has been done, though a little overwhelming and some what gaudy but it certainly did bring out alot of festive mood judging from the humongous increase in traffic flow in the commercial & tourist areas. Last year, there was even a New Year countdown concert outside the Reunification Palace. Check out the videos here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3bb3K57PBE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXWXuvIOGYM

View of the concert from my apartment. Traffic was also building up.
Decided to go down to take a look

Hardly any space left on the pavement for walking!