Chinese New Year Celebrations 2017

Feb, 8 2017

~We may have raised our glasses and sang Auld Lang Syne some five weeks or so but for the Chinese their New Year festivities started over 3 weeks after ours. On Saturday 28th January the official Chinese New Year began and this year marked the year of the rooster. There are 15 days in total and events across Manchester and Preston are celebrating it in various ways.

 Today UCLAN have staged performances marking Chinese New Year, ranging from operatic dance to a theatre troupe. In addition the Jinlong Chinese Martial Arts Academy provided high kicks and self defence adrenalin fuelled entertainment.

The event was organised by the UCLan Confucius Institute. Director Feixia Yu said: “Every year we work very closely with the Chinese Embassy’s cultural section to ensure we can bring world-class Chinese performers to Preston to celebrate Chinese New Year. This year’s performance was truly amazing and one which I’m sure the audience will remember for a very long time.”

The UCLAN Confucius Institute began in 2008 and is a partnership between UCLAN , Beijing International Studies University, and Hanban. Since its launch, UCLAN  CI has focused on activities that broaden the cultural flavour and landscape of Preston, and the larger Lancashire community, by staging cultural and educational events and activities in Preston and other surrounding towns, local libraries and museums, schools and other such places.

The UCLAN  CI often holds its popular “China Day” event in Preston’s Flag Market Square and local schools, an activity that provides taster sessions of Chinese culture through Chinese calligraphy & brush painting, tea ceremonies, martial arts demonstrations & training, and much more.

A 1 hour trip on the train to Manchester takes you to a diverse and exciting schedule for the Chinese New Year festivities. Most of the  big action took place throughout January, there is however an art exhibition which is currently taking place :-

Chinese contemporary art at CFCCA
The Centre For Contemporary Chinese Art leads this multi-gallery exhibition of work by Suki Chan and Joe Ford.
Chan explores the complex relationship between the human eye, the brain and vision in Lucida in galleries 1 and 2 (free), while Joe Ford runs a cyanotype tote bag printing workshop in the Jasmine Suite, in which visitors can draw or collage their own design using the cyanotype (a photographic printing process) technique (£4, drop in, all ages).
When: Chan - January 26-April 30; Ford - 1pm-4pm, January 28
Where: Thomas Street

Enjoy the Chinese New Year Celebrations for 2017.

^Alex Ashworth.