Thousands arrive to see in Chinese Year of the Rat

Feb 11 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

Chinese New Year

EUROPE’S oldest Chinese community celebrated its New Year with thousands of well-wishers who packed Liverpool’s China Town.

The street festival was especially important this year as revellers celebrated both Liverpool’s status as Capital of Culture 2008 and as the world looks towards China for this year’s Olympics.

Early morning fog lifted on Sunday as the traditional parade wound its way along Berry Street.

Drums rang out as the Lion, Dragon and Unicorn puppets danced for an estimated 20,000 people.

The procession started at 11.30am on the crowded steps of St. Luke’s Church.

Firecrackers burst into life as the brightly coloured trains passed the restaurants and warehouses along the route.

Chinhkoa Tseng, deputy chairman of the UK Chinese Freemason Association, enjoyed the spectacle from the steps of the association’s premises on Nelson Street.

He told the Daily Post: “This is our city and we’re a part of Liverpool. The youngsters you see in the parades are all Chin- ese but see themselves as Scousers.

“This is a particularly special year because as co-incidence would have it, it is the Olympics in Beijing this year and also Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year.

“Everyone here just wants to be part of it all.”

Yesterday marked the fourth day in a 15-day festival celebrating The Year of the Rat and the local spectators were joined by hundreds of people from across the north.

Liverpool boasts the country’s biggest Chinese community and yesterday’s carnival atmosphere ran on for six hours.

A whole host of events were displayed along Nelson Street, Berry Street and Duke Street, including a Chinese New Year market, and musical performances at the centre stage of Great George Street.

Anfield Samba Klub, whose players are aged five to 22, pounded out Oriental rhythms and were followed by Liverpool Youth Orchestra on the street stage.

Dizzying fairground rides filled roads at the St James Street end of China Town and hundreds of children took the opportunity to launch into their half term holidays.

Last night a Chinese Variety Show rounded off the celebrations at St George’s Hall. The show featured the Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra as well as traditional and contemporary artists from See Yep Chinese Association, Wah Sing Chinese Community Centre and Wirral Chinese Association.

Special guests included Will Tang and rising star Jade Gallagher.

The New Year celebrations kick-start a wider Chinese theme for Liverpool '08. Highlights includes The National Ballet of China performing at Liverpool Playhouse on March 7 and 8.

The Beijing Modern Dance Company will provide the final event for the Merseyside-wide LEAP dance festival at Southport Arts Centre on March 15.

The Long Walk, a response to the cockle-picking tragedy at Morecambe Bay in February, 2004, will be performed at the Great Hall of Hope University on the same day.

And one of 14 Commissions for Liverpool 08 programme is Chinese Dub, with Jah Wobble and the Chinese Pagoda Youth Orchestra.

OLYMPICS ROW: PAGE 15

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