Lai Yan Man
4 February 2002

Chinese New Year is the time of year when Chinese communities (like the Carribbean community on Carnival day) can really come out in force and display our culture to the nation.

Chinese New Year reinforces the Chinese image in our society and brings together the community like no other event. London may get all the attention, but there are many events around Chinatowns in Britain, which will ensure that you can never escape or be far from a Lion, Dragon and Unicorn dance or even the sound of a firecracker!

As well as London, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle are all holding their main event on Sunday 17th February. Some celebrations will last for up to two weeks.

The Chinese Festival Group in Newcastle have organised a fortnight's worth of events, starting with a Chinese disco on 12th February and ending with Chinese Opera night on 26th February.

The focal point of all celebrations will be in Bath Lane on February 17th. Starting at 11am, there will be a Chinese Arts and Craft Fair which will remain open until 5pm. The Chinese Performing Arts Stage Show begins at 12.30 and will finish with a grand finale of the traditional Lion dance and Firecrackers at 3.30pm.

Liverpool's Chinatown celebrations begin at 12 noon with the Lion, Dragon and Unicorn dance, the New Year will be formally welcomed in at 1pm with a firecracker display. There are various different celebrations occuring in different community centres across the city.

Manchester, being one of the largest Chinese communities in the country are holding their celebrations in the Chinatown carpark and its surroundings. On 17th February, there will be stores of Chinese food and arts and crafts. There will be a Dragon dance at 1pm, starting from the Town Hall that ends in Chinatown, and there will be a stage of performance including Chinese folk dancing, acrobats, magic shows and Chinese martial arts demonstrations. The day will end with a fireworks display at 6pm.

And finally, dimsum team members Wai Lam and David Suen are also members of the executive team that are organising the clebrations in London Chinatown.

They say that, "This year, in line with the year for the Horse, there are promises of change and that's what the executive team from the Chinese New Year office are hoping to bring to us all in London."

Previously, celebrations for Chinese New Year have taken place in Chinatown and Leicester Square. This year will see the inclusion of Trafalgar Square alongside the traditional annual event. The office has been flooded with enquiries and has been helped along with many volunteers and some of the Dimsum team.

A stage will be set up in Trafalgar Square and performing artistes will entertain the crowd from midday until around 6pm. There will be contemporary artistes combined with the classical singers and martial artists. In Leicester Square there will be an art exhibition and the BBC will be web casting the whole event and showing parts of it on the screen of the club Home.

Stalls in Chinatown will be serving up various types of food and selling gifts whilst the lion dancers dance around the area for most of the day.

So wherever you are in the country - gung hei faat choi!