Celebrate Chinese New Year in Newcastle

(bgiles). Submitted on Tue, 24 Jan 2012

Its name may be country-specific, but nowadays Chinese New Year is celebrated across the world. From San Francisco to Sydney, annual Chinese New Year festivals buzz with colour, energy and anticipation for the year to come. In the UK, New Year celebrations traditionally take place in one of the UK's five Chinatowns: in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle. And in January 2012 - which welcomes the Chinese New Year of the Dragon - Newcastle's celebrations look to be among the biggest and most exciting.



Newcastle's Chinatown is located mostly on Stowell Street in the city centre, near St James Park. One of the centrepieces of the area is its elaborate Chinese Arch, built in 2004 by Shanghai craftsmen. It's here that the traditional dragon, lion and unicorn dance will take place during the city's Chinese New Year festivities, one of the most iconic and popular events that take place across the world for the celebration. Traditionally, these dances are accompanied by loud drum beats, which - together with energetic dancing by the two-person operated lion and the multi-person operated dragon - is believed to ward off evil spirits. Before the dragon dance begins, the traditional eye dotting ceremony takes place, in which the dragon is awoken from its sleep.

Newcastle's Chinese New Year festivities will also include some official events, like speeches made by representatives from Newcastle City Council and local Chinese community leaders. However, the celebrations will be underpinned by cultural celebrations. At Stowell Street, New Year revellers will be able to explore an exhibition run by the North East Chinese Association, which displays Chinese costumes, food, arts and crafts. More traditional Chinese arts and crafts will be found at the Chinese Market and Fairground at Bath Lane and Thornton Square, which will also host a children's marquee filled with family entertainment. The Chinese Market and Fairground will also feature an array of Chinese food stalls. Traditional Chinese New Year food includes nian gao (Chinese New Year cake), jau gok (dumplings), taro cakes and several fish, chicken and pork dishes. It's also customary to present mandarin oranges to friends and family as they are considered symbols of good fortune.

For those wanting to learn more about Chinese culture, the Dance City attraction at Temple Street will be a must-see over Chinese New Year. Run by Newcastle University's Chinese Students and Scholars Association, the event will run a range of traditional and modern activities in which visitors can participate to learn more about Chinese customs and history. Chinese craft workshops will also be held at Newcastle City Library and the Oriental Museum in Durham will host Dragon-themed crafts and activities in its Chinese Galleries, as well as a Lantern Festival to mark the end of the New Year period.

Newcastle's Chinatown is a 15 minute walk from the city's Central Station, which is the main transport hub for trains to Newcastle. All the city's Chinese New Year events are centrally located, and take place over an entire weekend.

 

About the Author

Bruce Giles writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

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