Members of the Dunedin Chinese Student Scholar Association
(from left) Hui Zhang, Hong Zhong Liu, Wei Zhang, Yifei
Tang, Jack Tang, Wei Wang, Hu Zhang, Xiao Cheng Wang,
Suting Qiao, Qunhuan Hao, Mengchu Wang, Xiao Xiao, Yuezhizi
Li and Chuansibo Tao rehearse for the Dragon Parade, which
will be part of the Chinese New Year celebrations in
Dunedin tomorrow. Photo by Craig Baxter.
The Year of the Rabbit is supposedly a placid year, very
much welcomed and needed after the ferocious Year of the Tiger.
But it will not stop members of the Dunedin Chinese community
from celebrating the Chinese lunar New Year tomorrow with as
much noise and vigour as possible.
Dunedin City Council events team leader Marilyn Anderson said
this year's celebrations would begin in the Octagon tomorrow
at 7.15pm with members of the Dunedin Chinese Student Scholar
Association staging a Dragon Parade, led by the Senior
Chinese Drummers.
They would travel along Princes St and Rattray St to the
Dunedin Chinese Garden, where spectators would be met with a
cacophony of crackers going off on the Pai Lau.
The Lion would then be awoken by members of the Otago
Southland Chinese Association, and the next two hours would
be filled with continuous entertainment, including music,
dance, giant yo-yos, a traditional Chinese harp, and a red
silk fan dance.
"It will be loud, vigorous and full of colour - all with a
distinctly Chinese flavour."
During the evening, the garden would be open to the public
for a gold-coin donation, Mrs Anderson said.
The evening would conclude at 10pm with a fireworks display.
Celebrations will continue in the Chinese Garden on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday with tai chi in the courtyard, children's
activities, traditional Chinese tea ceremonies, poetry
readings, guided tours of the garden, stories of the Chinese
New Year, a calligraphy class and traditional Chinese games.
Mrs Anderson said highlights of the celebrations would be an
evening with Chinese Garden expert Diana Magdin on Friday
(7pm-9pm); a talk about Pen Jing (the ancient Chinese style
of growing miniature trees and landscapes) on Saturday
(3pm-4pm), and a cooking demonstration with a traditional
Chinese chef on Sunday (7pm-9pm).
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