Cheshire West and Cheshire Council recently revealed some upcoming events and activities in honour of Chinese Lunar New Year.
This winter, the city will celebrate the “Year of the Horse” in style, with a cornucopia of cultural characters, traditional performing arts and fun firecrackers.
Residents and visitors wishing to witness the spectacle can come down to the city centre where landmarks like Chester Cathedral and the historic Chester Rows are based. Starting in the morning at Eastgate Street and continuing onto Northgate Street to reach Chester Town Hall, the festivities will feature The Happy Buddha, The Emperor of Heaven. The festivities are organised by the Wah Lei Chinese Association with support local institutions, Bank of America and the council.
Councillor Louise Gittins commented that Lunar New Year is the Chinese zodiac calendar’s most important celebration and has a 12-year cycle. The legend says that the Emperor of Heaven requested that all animals meet with him on New Year’s Day, and every animal that answered the call had a year named in its honour.
Accomplished musicians will provide live renditions of traditional Chinese tunes at the event, and the Hung Gar Kung Fu Academy, helmed by Steve Ornelas, will perform colourful dragon and lion dances.
Interactive activities and Chinese calligraphy workshops are also planned, led by tutors from Chester University’s Saturday Mandarin School. The sessions will be held in Chester Town Hall, which is easy to locate opposite the cathedral, and feature Tai Chi Panda as a special guest.
The Chinese Lunar New Year Celebrations will now take place in central Chester on Saturday, February 21.