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Liverpool brings in Chinese New Year - 4717
Report, photos and videos by Patrick Trollope.

THE Chinese New Year celebrations in Liverpool's Chinatown were once again a huge success. This year the celebrations included the traditional Dragon, Lion Dance and Kung Fu Displays along with fireworks and animated 260' projection. The events not only marked the start of the Year of the Pig 4717, but also the festivities celebrated 20 years since the City was twinned with Shanghai, China.

Liverpool's Chinatown is the oldest settled Chinese community in Europe, which was founded back in 1830's and has since become an integral part of the City's population. As a result, the City has continued to develop a strong relationship with Chinia. This lead to the twinning of the 2 Cities and as a gift, Shanghai, gave Liverpool an impressive Chinese Imperial Arch. The Archway stands 15m high, making it the largest Chinese Imperial Arch, outside of China. Spanning the width of Nelson Street, within the Liverpool City Centre, the structure has a 5 tier roof and is decorated with 200 dragons. This fine monumental gateway was realized by artisans in Shanghai, so it was only fitting that its was made into an integral part of the proceedings. For 3 nights a spectacular projection and pyrotechnic show made the buildings next to it and the Black - E to come alive. This year the story shown on the projections beamed on to it and surrounding buildings was about Jingwei and Piggy and their travels to the West. The soundtrack to that display was by musician and composer, Jah Wobble, and featured a live element to the performance., as you can see on our video footage...

This year the Mayor and Mayoress were also given a surprise, when they spotted their granddaughter dancing in the show, which was a part of the formal celebrations performed by the children of the Wah Sing Chinese School, in their own building, on Duke Street,! This centre provides English, Cantonese and Mandarin lessons, along with other culture related activities.

Also, taking part at that location, was a free modelling shoot, run by the Liverpool Chinatown Photographic Society (LCPS.)

Further events that took place included 2 markets; 1 in Chinatown and another at St Lukes Church - 'The Bombed Out Church,' along with massive firecracker displays, stage performances, dancing on George Street. Plus fairground, parades, more firecracker displays, family workshops, and street performances, all over Chinatown.

Other additions included thousands of Chinese lanterns that adorned buildings across Liverpool and over on the Wirral.

Major landmarks also were lit up red in homage to China, they included:- St Luke's Church - 'The Bombed Out Church,' Central Library, The World Museum, Town Hall, Cunard Building and St George's Hall, Martin Luther King Building, Royal Liverpool Albert Dock, Port of Liverpool Building, Sefton Park Palm House, The Arch, Toxteth Library, Unity Theatre and key Wallasey Town Hall.