The city is preparing itself for a 13-day Chinese New Year party, complete with cultural dances, dragon boat races and a parade. The Year of the Dragon officially begins at 12.40pm on Monday January 23 but Sydney is starting its celebrations early, kicking off on Friday, January 20. The Festival launch is a free event at Belmore Park, opposite from Central Station, and will feature a food market. MasterChef contestant Adam Liaw and Alvin Quah will be there to run cooking demonstrations.
Besides the food stalls there is also a stage for Asian Pop and Karaoke competitions with a special show by Chendu performers. Lion and dragon dance troupes will attack stages in their colourful costumes.
The Chinese Youth League of Australia, a dance and martial arts group based in Sydney will be performing on the day and throughout the Festival.
The League’s President Patricia Quah said: “There will be a staged show with dancing, singing, lion dance, dragon dance and the God of Fortune.”
“We are fully booked for lion dances but we don’t run it as a business, it’s all done by volunteers, none of us get paid, not even me.”
The League, which has been part of setting the entertainment program, is a regular participant in the annual event and has been operating for over 70 years. “We have been operating for 73 years and I was the first woman president after 70 years,” Ms Quah said.
The Chinese New Year Twilight Parade is on Sunday, January 29 and will tour from Sydney Town Hall to Chinatown, ending with a display of fireworks.
“For the Chinese New Year Parade on January 29 there will be hundreds of thousands of people on the road,” Ms Quah said.
Other Festival highlights include a mass tai-chi demonstration on Sunday January 22, the dragon boat races at Darling Harbour on February 4 and 5 and a cultural performance by Chengdu dancers on Monday, January 30.
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