The Chinese School, in partnership with Reading Borough Council, organised a day of celebration for local residents to enjoy on Sunday 9 February.
The event started in the morning with free workshops including Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting, tea ceremony, Chinese costume display and Chinese craft work in the Town Hall. Later in the day, the group moved outside to the Town Hall Square for performances including Chinese dances and a demonstration of Tai Chi.
The Dragon then led a procession to the main shopping area through Friar Street for which large crowds turned out to watch and cheer the energetic parade with dancers in colourful costumes and accompanied by Chinese music. Along the way, children danced behind the dragon as the procession moved through the town.
For the final part of our celebration, festivities returned to the Concert Hall where an audience enjoyed a brilliant live show of various performances including singing, dancing, magic, and music played on the Erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument.
The event was attended by the Mayor of Reading, Councillor Glenn Dennis, Ms Yuan Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley and Matt Rodda, MP for Reading Central.
In her opening speech, the Headteacher of the Chinese School, Dr Yan Liu, welcomed the audience and said that this is the first Chinese New Year after it was Inscribed in 2024 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
She said how she was proud to be one of the organisers of the event, and that she wants more people to know about Chinese culture and also to bring people of all communities together to form a harmonious society.
Ms Yuan Yang MP mentioned her experience in learning Chinese as a child and encouraged the children to learn Chinese and Chinese culture, as they will find it useful one day.
The Mayor of Reading, Councillor Glenn Dennis, in his speech said: “Today’s celebration is a beautiful example of the spirits bringing together family, friends and neighbours to share joy and hope for the year ahead.”
He praised the Chinese School for the work it has done since it was established in 1978.
The date of Chinese New Year changes every year according to the moon cycle. This year, Chinese New Year started on 29 January and marks the transition from the Year of the Dragon to the Year of the Snake. The New Year is typically celebrated for 15 days and ends with the Lantern Festival.
