Liverpool celebrates Chinese New Year in style

LIVERPOOL was built on the back of immigration, with most people associating Liverpool with Irish migrants, but Liverpool is also home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe. Currently there are around 10,000 Chinese residents in Liverpool and even more throughout the Liverpool City Region, making it 1 of the biggest areas in Europe. It comes as no surprise that this vibrant multi cultural community would want to celebrate this, and every year, the local Chinese population comes out to celebrate the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. Over the years this has grown and grown and this year's celebrations have been the biggest yet. Unlike in recent years, where the celebrations have been focused only on Chinatown and the beautiful Chinese Arch; the largest outside mainland China; this year really has taken off.

The City Centre, not just Chinatown, exploded with a series of popular street performances, family workshops, shadow puppet theatre, art installations, parades and of course the popular Chinese market on George Street selling gifts, souvenirs and mouth watering food. But also lanterns have adorning the City Centre, with lasers beaming in to the sky and landmarks illuminated in red light. Plus around the Chinese Arch, over the Friday, 16 February to Sunday, 18 February 2018, at dusk the walls of the buildings and the arch came to life, thanks to a special lumiere event called:- 'Jingwei's Legacy.' The show was commissioned by Liverpool City Council, digital experts Illuminos, who created the 12 minutes long projection that beamed onto the Chinese Arch, the Black-E and The Arch (formerly known as the Scandinavian Hotel). Together with local arts organisations, Pagoda Arts and First Take, they deliver a fascinating show. It also included a specially written soundtrack by legendary bass player Jah Wobble, featuring young musicians Tien and Chi Chi. The light display and street theatre helped to tell a story that was focused on cultural diversity and spreading the message of hope that communities can live together harmoniously regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs.

The main focus of the celebrations were put onto Sunday, 18 February 2018, when throughout the day, Liverpool City Region's Chinese community celebrated in style, as Chinese restaurants and supermarkets, and facilities opened up to the public and put on displays. The biggest was traditional dragon, unicorn and Lion parades, which roamed around the City Centre, to the sounds of festival drums and firecrackers.

The public also got to experience free cultural shows, look at photographic and art displays and even got a chance to take photographs in a pop up studio, with not only models, but also with reptiles and spiders! This was put on thanks to the Liverpool Chinatown Photographic Society and Wah Sing Chinese Community Centre.

The night was the last showing of the 'Jingwei's Legacy' and Event Horizon provided an explosive ending, with a fantastic use of pyrotechnics.

Chinese New Year is just a small part of a year long program of events in Liverpool, called:- "The China Dream Dream Season," that is part of the City's celebrations marking 10 years since it held the status of European Capital of Culture, a title that no other City in the UK is likely to have again!

Other events that are part of the China Dream Season include an amazing, ground breaking, exhibition:- 'China's First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors,' at the Liverpool World Museums.

If you attended, please do let us know what you thought of this event by emailing us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.com.

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Did you know? The Imperial Arch in Liverpool's Chinatown was a gift from Shanghai.  The Arch was shipped over, piece by piece and ever since it was erected, in 2000, it has stood 50 feet tall, at the entrance to Liverpool's historic Chinatown.  The Arch is still the largest Chinese Arch outside of China!

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