Chinese New Year
Happy New Year - sun nin fy lok!
Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year in Chinese communities. Based on the lunar and solar calendars, the date varies from late January to mid-February. As Chinese communities across England celebrate, there will be numerous organised events taking place.
Chinese New Year – Coalport China Museum
31 January - 1 Feb 2009 - Shropshire
Celebrate the Year of the Ox with special performances of the Lion Dance, which brings good fortune for the new year, folk dancing, T’ai Chi, ceramic workshops exploring Chinese writing and design. A range of activities and workshops will be held throughout the year especially highlighting its collection of Caughley porcelain and the ‘Chinese Whispers’ exhibit, which explores the influence of China on the British porcelain industry. Visit www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk for more information
Chinese New Year
26 January 2009 - Chatham, Medway
2009 is the Chinese year of the Ox, which begins on 26 January with a 15-day celebration through to 9 February. The celebration of the Chinese New Year in Medway has emerged from a small Chinese community event into the third largest celebration of its kind in the United Kingdom, involving the whole Medway community in a grand street parade with dragons, lions and more than 250 people, in costumes especially imported from China. The celebrations take place in Chatham town centre.
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Chinese New Year
1 February 2009 - London
With the largest New Year celebration outside of Asia last year, London’s Chinese community is expecting to top even that with 300,000 people expected in central London to kick off the Chinese New Year of the Ox. Festivities include The Great Parade, the Dragon Dance, Lucky Lions, the Beijing Dance, Drama and Opera House at Trafalgar Square with Tail Feathers Dance, Fireworks in Leicester Square and more.
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Chinese New Year
25 Jan 2009 - Manchester
Manchester has one of the largest Chinese communities in the UK, and each year it celebrates Chinese New Year with a colourful parade around Albert Square and Faulkner Street. Visitors can expect traditional dragon dances, a fireworks display, marshal arts exhibitions and plenty of stalls and workshops. The family-friendly event then makes its way to nearby Chinatown, where many of the restaurants offer special New Year menus. www.visitmanchester.com
Chinese New Year - Imperial Arch
24-25 January 2009 - Liverpool
Liverpool is home to one of the oldest Chinese communities in Europe, and Chinese New Year is celebrated at the Chinese Arch on Nelson Street. Prepare to be mesmerised by dancing dragons, unicorns and lions, special firecracker performances and Tai Chi demonstrations and enjoy Chinese food and traditional New Year's delicacies. Liverpool's Imperial Arch is the largest outside of China. Standing 15 meters or some 50 feet tall and spanning Nelson Street, it has to rank as one of the most spectacular sites in Liverpool with its 200 dragons, five roofs and sheer complexity. www.visitliverpool.com
Lunar New Year Extravaganza - The Museum of East Asian Art
25 January 2009 - Bath
The Museum of East Asian Art invites you to an afternoon of New Year Celebrations to be held at the Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath. The afternoon will include:
Martial Arts Demonstrations - Expert Benny Wang and his team will demonstrate Tai Chi and Shaolin Temple Boxing;
Traditional Arts and Crafts;
Face Painting;
ANG Event Photography Studio - have your picture taken as a memory of the day. Prints cost £10 (20% of proceeds go to charity);
Learn Mandarin New Year Phrases with Mandarin in Bath;
and an amazing Lion Dance with Shaolin Lion Dance Troupe
www.meaa.org.uk/
Destination guides
