Chinese New Year Annual Gala 2020

On Monday 27 January, the Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield held its annual Chinese New Year Gala at Sheffield City Hall. Over 2,000 visitors packed into City Hall to enjoy the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar.

A Chinese New Year celebration performance

During the event crowds were wowed by one of Jiangxi’s top international acrobatic troupes, incredible acrobats, as well as famous singer Aixinjueluo Qidi.

Earlier on in the evening during the pre-show, guests were treated to various arts and crafts activities, including painting as well as calligraphy. Sheffield’s very own Wanlin Dance Academy also took part and performed traditional Chinese dance.

A particular highlight of the Pre-Show was the annual Art Competition organised by the SCI, which showcased entries from 18 local schools and nurseries. The winning entries were then presented on stage with certificates and prizes.

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival begins at the start of the new moon in the Lunar calendar, which also marks the start of the Lunar New Year. Due to this, the actual date that Spring Festival starts can vary, it usually falls anywhere between 21 January and 20 February.

The year 2020 is The Year of the Rat and each animal within the Chinese Zodiac will have a year dedicated to them once every 12 years within each cycle.

Chinese New Year is a wonderful time for Chinese people all around the world to celebrate together and a great way to start the year. Happy New Year everyone!

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