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Chinese New Year 4706
THIS
is the Chinese New Year of the Rat. All over the world,
people are celebrating the fact, no less so than in
Merseyside. In the Southport area this weekend, a group of
Kung Fu adepts visited a number of premises and danced a
very skilful Lion Dance outside the doors, accompanied by
drumming to drive away evil and to ensure good luck for the
establishment in the coming year. The costumes are lavish
and colourful and the agility of the participants amazing.
No wonder, as every move the Lion made is based on precise
Kung Fu moves, a tradition that goes back over 2 thousand
years.
After the Dance, those same movements were demonstrated in a
martial arts display, before the warriors donned their
costumes again and visited the customers dining in the
restaurant, causing much merriment.
On Sunday, Liverpool China Town and surrounding area was
thronged by thousands of people watching as other Kung Fu
disciples performed the same Loin Dance before premises and
receiving their lettuce and fruit en route. Agile
multicoloured dragons also visited premises feasting on
lettuce and collecting money hung over the portals of the
establishments.
In Liverpool, these visits were accompanied by much drumming
and very loud firecrackers, carefully caged and attended to
by Health and Safety Officers. A devil darted around and a
Mandarin with an assistant distributed red good luck
envelopes with coins and chocolate money to the crowd. As
these processions wound around the streets, there was also a
parade with flags involving various dignities of the City. A
firecracker display took place in Great George Square.
Aside from these events, there were markets in the adjacent
streets, an orchestra on a bandstand and a variety of food
and drink suppliers. Plenty indeed to provide a good day out
for the visitors, who flocked from all around. Many were
from Merseyside but with a good few from further afield,
including a significant number of Chinese people who were
studying or working in this country. Once again Liverpool's
Chinese community has reminded us of it significant presence
in the City.
Other Chinese events Capital of Culture will run throughout
the coming year including:-
7 March 2008 to 8 March 2008, National Ballet of China, at
the Liverpool Play House
15 March 2008, Beijing Modern Dance Co, are due to provide
the first dance for the Merseyside LEAP Dance festival at
Southport Arts Centre
14 March to 15 March 2008, in the Great Hall, Hope
University, The Long Walk in memory of the cockle pickers
tragic loss in Morecambe Bay 2004
5 July 2008, Chinese Dub, Internationally acclaimed
musician, Jah Wobble and Chinese Pagoda Youth Orchestra,
spreading Chinese Music to a wider audience
As an adjunct to these celebrations, Urban Strawberry Lunch
provided ongoing entertainment in St Luke's Church ruins,
Leece Street (see separate article.)
新年好從Southport & Mersey 記者對所有我們的中國讀者
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