They eventually made their way to the Wakatipu about 1868 where, aside from mining, the early Chinese settlers were heavily involved in the construction of the village, including creating roads and the first buildings.
Other performers yesterday included the Dunedin Tai Chi Club, musician Jeffrey Zhao playing the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument, and Tibetan dancers.
Today, about 10,000 people are expected in Arrowtown for the festival’s market day; street entertainment is planned all morning before the ever-popular street parade from 2pm, this year featuring about 40 floats.
Tomorrow’s events include the Tobin’s Rush 5km and 10km running events, along with a 5km Arrow River Dash, a fun dog show from 11.30am at Wilcox Green and the sold-out Pie, Pint and Pinot at Library Green.
The festival continues until Tuesday.
