Ten best things to see, do and taste at Sydney Chinese New Year 2015

From food markets to lantern warriors, the Year of the Sheep is bringing quite a bounty.

Get ready for sensory overload — Chinese New Year is here. Time to fill the streets with fireworks and dancing lions while you alternate between inhaling incredible Asian cuisine and watching feats of strength at the Darling Harbour dragon boat races.

For the Year of the Sheep (a sign of creativity and wisdom), the festival will be connecting you with the best of the Chinese creative world, including large-scale performance art pieces with the Yangjiang art collective and fire-breathing puppet troupes, as well giving you the chance to put yourself in the mix, whether walking through an army of glowing terracotta warriors or doing Tai Chi in the sunshine.

With so much to do and see, here are a few highlights from Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival you shouldn’t miss.

Dragon Boat Races - 28 Feb & 1 March

Where? 201 Sussex Street, Sydney

Fast and furious, wet and wild. No, it’s not an ad for a summer roller-coaster ride; it’s the frantic dash in a 12m-long painted boat known as the Dragon Boat Races. Dating back 2000 years, the race was traditionally held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese Calendar to encourage rains for prosperity — the dragon, the symbol of water, was the object of worship for the ancient Chinese. Today, it’s a heart-thumping sport boasting crews of roughly 20 rowers. Grab a waterside seat and watch some of Sydney’s best dragon boat teams battle it out in this highly competitive, thrilling sport.

Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival - 18 to 23 Feb

Where? Corner of Greek and Bay Streets

This annual festival will once again showcase a selection of critically acclaimed Chinese movies — including multiple Australian premieres. A black comedy about a reformed gangster who decides to open a kindergarten, Uncle Victory won the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Shanghai Film Festival. Other standouts include Tsang Tsui Shan’s multigenerational documentary Flowing Stories and the critically acclaimed drama Blue Sky Bones (shot by award-winning Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle). Best of all, because the festival is designed to promote Chinese cinema, all the screenings are absolutely free.

Zhang Huan Sydney Buddha - 8 Jan to 15 March

Where? 245 Wilson Street

Zhang Huan’s Sydney Buddha joins the Chinese New Year celebrations at Carriageworks, if only for a limited life. For this highly-anticipated work, two 5 metre-tall Buddha sculptures made of 20 tonnes of incense ash and its aluminium case, face each other. The incense ash is collected from Chinese temples and set to disintegrate slowly within Carriageworks, acting in the same way a Tibetan Buddhist mandala works and making a stunning, complex, time-consuming artwork to be briefly enjoyed and subsequently destroyed, reminding us of the brevity of life.

Lunar Feasts - 13 Feb to 1 March

Where? Din Tai Fung, Chinese Noodle House, Ma G's, Fu Manchu

Flock to the city’s best Asian eateries to experience some of the seriously tasty set menus they will be serving up as part of the annual Chinese New Year Festival. From as little as $20 per person, you can eat your weight in wontons at favourite spots like Din Tai Fung and Chinese Noodle House. The more money you fork out (or should that be chopstick out?), the more decadence you can expect, with the likes of Ms G’s and Fu Manchu offering multicourse delights of sambal octopus, kimchi and an included sweet treat for about $50. Most restaurants have both lunch and dinner options and some menus include an alcoholic beverage as part of the deal.

Chinese New Year Parade 2015 - 22 Feb

Where? George Street, Sydney

In honour of the Year of the Sheep, this year’s Twilight Parade is going to be particularly woolly and adorable. The parade will be filled with spectacular lanterns, floats and dragons and, as always, will begin with the ancient eye dotting ceremony to awaken the spirit of the lion and end with a display of fireworks in Darling Harbour. This year the parade will feature some particularly home-grown treats, including a giant merino, shearers and knitting grannies, while projections will light up the city’s building with the story of Chinese shepherds in Australia and images celebrating the sheep’s characteristics of creativity and kindness.

Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors - 13 Feb to 22 Feb

Where? Hickson Road, Sydney

Wander through an army of lanterns against the backdrop of the harbour and Opera House as 90 illuminated Terracotta Warriors take over Hickson Road Reserve, the site of Vivid 2014’s giant bunnies. Designed to inspire the same awe as was sparked by the 1974 discovery of the Terracotta Warriors in the tomb of China’s first emperor, these beautiful multicoloured lanterns stand at more than 2 metres tall and are a miracle of fabric and wire, created for the 2008 Beijing Olympic games and here on their first appearance outside of China and the UK.

Lunar Markets - 12 to 22 Feb

Where? Pirrama Road

For 11 nights the Pyrmont Bay Park will transform itself into a pop-up food festival of Asian cuisine, with over 20 food stalls ranging from Night Noodle Market regulars like Fat Noodle and Hoy Pinoy to the new Japanese rock ‘n’ roll themed Daniel San out of Manly. We highly recommend a taste of Bar Pho’s newly trademarked ‘phumplings’, a miraculous cross breed of Vietnamese pho and dumplings that you might not have caught at the Sydney Festival Village due to them selling out every single night.

Tai Chi Classes - Saturdays in Feb

Where? Chinese Garden of Friendship: 1 Exhibition Place

In a festival full of buzzing crowds and street vendors, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is offering a more calming experience as it hosts $6 Saturday morning Tai Chi classes. Conducted by Fiona Maiyin Thockloth from the Inner Peace & Wellbeing Centre, the lessons take an hour out of your weekend and promote mental clarity in the beautiful garden surrounds. It’s a popular class, so make sure you get there 15 minutes early to sign up.

Lunar Streets - 14 Feb

Where? Dixon Street, Chinatown

For the first time, Chinatown, Thaitown and Koreatown are joining forces for Lunar Streets. Graze like a sheep (it’s their year) down Sussex, Campbell and Pitt Streets from dusk till late on Saturday, February 14. There’ll be long alfresco tables set up for the occasion, so you can commune with friends new and old while chowing down on your dim sum/noodles/curry/sashimi/some glorious mix of the four. Performances by roving entertainers and a mix of Asian pop hits courtesy of PopAsia top off the night, a new high on Sydney’s Chinese New Year calendar.

Twilight Garden Party - 14 Feb

Where? Chinese Garden of Friendship: 1 Exhibition Place

For one very special night the renowned Yangjiang art collective will be taking over the Chinese Garden of Friendship. With DJs throughout the evening and food and drinks by the Grasshopper Eating House, the Yangjiang group will be putting you at the centre of their art with calligraphy, face-painting and intimate performance pieces. In their trademark After Dinner Calligraphy, they will use food scraps from the event to create a large-scale work, and the night will finish with the artists feeding guests an array of tea designed to spark a shift in your physical and spiritual perceptions.


Source: http://concreteplayground.com/sydney/best_of/the-ten-best-things-to-see-do-and-taste-at-sydney-chinese-new-year-2015/

2015 Chinese New Year Twilight Parade - Sydney

The Sheep is a much-loved animal – and what’s not to love? They’re gentle, calm and soft, they feature in our nursery rhymes and they were also the backbone of Australia’s early farming success, and continue to be today.

Join us on a discovery of all things Sheep during this year’s spectacular Twilight Parade, with magical lanterns, floats and projections lighting up our city streets and buildings in a woolly celebration of this special creature.

As dusk descends there’s plenty of sheepish pre-parade entertainment for everyone, and then our story begins against the backdrop of magical illuminations on our city buildings.

Opening at the time of the goldrush with Chinese immigrants leaving the gold fields to work as shepherds, we move into a celebration of each of the Sheep’s special characteristics. Wise, dependable, creative, kind, calm and clever: you will see spectacular floats that weave a story around each of these attributes. There’s giant merinos, shearers and Bo Peeps, knitting grannies, and more sheep than you could possibly count, as the parade weaves its way to Darling Harbour for a closing fireworks display to thrill the entire flock.

With local and international communities that celebrate the Lunar New Year taking part in this much-loved event, this year’s Twilight Parade will be a great night out!

Time: 8:00pm - 11:55pm
Location: Sydney Town Hall George Street (from Sydney Town Hall to Chinatown followed by fireworks at Cockle Bay Darling Harbour)
Price: Free ($66 Limited VIP seating available)

Source: www.sydneychinesenewyear.com/festival-program/chinese-new-year-twilight-parade/

Dragon Boat Races Darling Harbour | Chinese New Year Celebrations

Dragon Boat Races Darling Harbour | Chinese New Year Celebrations

The mythical dragon commands the wind, the mist and the rain, surging through the skies and the seas as part of the Chinese New Year Festival, Celebrating the Lunar New Year.

For more than 2,000 years, Dragon Boat racing has had a special place in Chinese culture, with 12-metre long boats battling it out to the pounding of drums. The first races were held to commemorate Qu Yuan, the great warrior poet, who drowned himself in a river as a protest against political corruption. Today, the race represents patriotism and group integrity.

Get up close to all the action on the 90 metre viewing pontoon as these spectacular boats race through the waters, each with a carved dragon head and tail, a hull painted with dragon scales, and paddles to represent the claws.

Location: Cockle Bay Wharf

Cost:  FREE

Also - Eye Dotting Ceremony

Come and be part of a unique Taoist ceremony that blesses the waters to ensure a safe weekend of racing and awakens the dragon by dabbing red paint onto the eyes of each boat’s figurehead

When: Saturday 28th February

Time:  9am

View Source

Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival Celebrates the Year of the Sheep

Karaoke on top of the Harbour Bridge, tales of legends in the Chinese Garden of Friendship and endless amounts of delicious food, Sydney is bringing in the Year of the Sheep in style.

Officially commencing among the Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors at Dawes Point on Friday and running through new year on February 19 and until March 1, Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore said the 2015 Chinese New Year Festival celebrating the Year of the Sheep will being our streets to life.

"Its developed into the most significant celebration for Chinese New Year outside Asia," she said. "There will be 80 events including art exhibitions, cooking demonstrations, tea ceremonies, temple tours, sporting functions, all sorts of amazing events."

This year, the festival will celebrate the Year of the Sheep. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

According to University of Sydney emeritus professor of Chinese literature Jeffrey Riegel, the yang, or sheep, is known for its docile character, so people expect life will be more manageable.

"The sheep is also in early Chinese mythology thought to be a creature that knows instinctively the difference between good and bad, virtue and evil. So people expect that in the Year of the Sheep, justice will dominate," he said.

Venues throughout Sydney, including The Sydney Morning Herald Food & Wine Festival's Lunar Markets at Pyrmont Bay Park, will be lined with red lanterns, decorations and displays in celebration of the chun jie, or spring festival as it's known in China. Chun jie marks the start of the new lunar year, something Professor Riegel says is the biggest and most lavish festival in Chinese culture.

"It is also a chance to celebrate the old year and welcome the new, an annual renewal," he said. "They clear their debts, celebrate their togetherness, and by being together pave the way for even more prosperity."

Cecily Huang, a Chinese postgraduate student at UTS, is somewhat homesick but excited to celebrate her first Chinese New Year in Sydney.

"[Chinese] are probably more interested in celebrating here than in China, because all Chinese they get used to it," she said. "But here, they think they are far away from their home."

A first for 2015, long tables will be set up along Pitt, Sussex and Campbell streets for diners to valentine under the stars on February 14.

"We've got about 60 performers during the night moving from street to street and really encouraging that sense of outdoor dining, street food, the hustle and bustle and chaos, what we all know and love to be Asia," the festival's creative director Gill Minervini said.

However, a petition has been drafted in support of a name change of the event, citing the disrespectful nature of using the Chinese New Year name while also celebrating the cultures of Thailand, Korea and Vietnam as a lunar new year event.

"If I greet some Chinese man with 'Hey happy Vietnamese New Year - it's not right. It's just like greeting a Vietnamese man with Happy Chinese New Year," Anthony Ngo, a Vietnamese man who started the petition, told SBS.

Cr Moore defended the festival name.

"This festival is something that's continued on over the last 19 years, started as the Chinese New Year Festival, and now it continues as the Chinese New Year Festival."

In Parramatta, Centenary Square will be transformed into 'Lunar Square', hosting a family friendly twilight festival with traditional and contemporary performances and food on February 20.

"Council is proud to showcase Parramatta's rich cultural diversity and this festival is a great way for people to celebrate and share in the traditions and culture of our Asian communities," a Parramatta council spokeswoman said.

Gong xi fa cai. Welcome to the Year of the Sheep.

Festival Highlights:

Festival launch, Dawes Point: February 13, 7.30pm

Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors, Dawes Point: February 13-22

Sydney Morning Herald Food & Wine Festival Lunar Markets, Pyrmont Bay Park: February 12-22

Karaoke Climb, Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb: February 16-28

Lunar Streets, Chinatown, Thaitown, Koreatown: February 14, 5pm-11pm

Lunar Feats, Various restaurants: February 13-Mar 1

Chinese New Year Twilight Parade, Town Hall: February 22, 8pm-11.55pm

Dragon Boat Races, Cockle Bay: February 28-March 1

More information: http://www.sydneychinesenewyear.com/

Which animal are you?

Rat: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

Snake: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013

Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014

Sheep: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015

Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016

Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017

Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018

Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

City of Sydney Chases Chinese Business and Tourism

Chinese business and tourism relationships remain a focus for the City of Sydney into the new year with the Lord Mayor visiting the country and speaking at a business forum.

 In November finance company executives, leading academics and government officials met for the fourth annual Sydney China Business Forum. Lord Mayor Clover Moore opened the forum of 200 business and political leaders from the two countries by saying Sydney must compete with the Asia-Pacific for Chinese investment.

“Sydney is competing to be the top location for business in the Asia-Pacific and our work to bring together industry and political leaders from Australia and China is a crucial part of that,” Moore said.
“We are the gateway to Australia’s financial, education, creative and tourism sectors and we are delighted to back an event that shows off our city’s credentials. The Free Trade Agreement between our two economies means growing business connections now presents huge possibilities, and the City is determined to help businesses seize them,” a spokesperson for the Mayor’s office said.

 Following visits to Chinese cities Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xi’an and Wuhan the Lord Mayor also hosted Chinese delegations, including the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Hubei Province in Sydney.

 The signing of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) between the countries, the text of which was concluded in November 2014, is due to take place later this year. This will mean the removal of tariffs on commodities exported to China including energy resources, dairy, iron ore and the delicacy that is Tasmanian rock-lobster.

 An announcement at last year’s G20 summit that Sydney would be the global infrastructure hub has significant repercussions for the city’s financial relationship with China. Chris Johnson, the CEO of Urban Taskforce, said the endorsement could lead to extensive offshore opportunities for developers across Asia, particularly in digital, technological and creative industries.

“As well as the potential for increased markets for developers there is the increased work potential for consultants like project managers, planners, engineers and architects, ” Mr Johnson said.

 The ongoing strength of Australia’s bilateral partnership with China has particularly strong implications for the higher education trade. International students are a significant source of revenue for the Australian economy, with course fees being significantly higher for international students than for domestic students.

 A 2011 report by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship stated that the highest number of applications for a student visa came from China, with 49,852 visas granted in 2010-11.
Professor Kerry Brown, Executive Director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, said that a good quality lifestyle and good economy are amongst the main incentives for Chinese students coming to Sydney.

“With so many Chinese students having graduated from largely business and economic based degrees in recent years, it is not surprising that finance has been able to employ good quality students to work particularly in centres like Sydney and Melbourne,” Prof Brown said.

“Expanding trade links to China [mean] that in the future, [links to Australia] are useful for Chinese students in their careers,” Prof Brown said.

Although study costs are high, it is more financially accessible for Chinese students who can afford to study overseas to do so in Australia than in other global cities.

At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), tuition and course fees are approximately AUD$64,000 per annum for undergraduate courses. Kings College London, offer clinically-based courses such as medicine and dentistry at a cost of approximately AUD$67,000 per annum. 

For international students, the expense of studying courses such as dentistry and engineering at the University of Sydney is approximately AUD$39,700 per annum. A science degree at UNSW costs approximately AUD$37,440 per annum.

 Considering comparative affordability for international students, Sydney is particularly attractive. “With so many Chinese students having graduated from largely business and economic based degrees in recent years, it is not surprising that finance has been able to employ good quality students to work particularly in centres like Sydney and Melbourne,” Prof Brown said.

Rates of Chinese tourism to Australia remain strong and Sydney continues to have strong appeal for travellers, the majority of whom come from Shanghai and Beijing.

 A major research project by Tourism Australia, the findings of which were published in May 2014, found that 57% of Chinese respondents ranked ‘world class beauty and natural environments,’ as two of the most important factors when selecting a travel destination. The availability of good food and wine, safety, and ‘spectacular coastal scenery’ were also considered.

 According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), rates of short-term tourist arrivals from China have grown at a pace faster than that of any other country to Australia, climbing from 2.4% (of the total proportion of visitors to Australia) in 2000 to 7.7% in 2010. Notably, this figure jumped to 24.7% by the end of September 2014.

 Destination NSW has implemented a comprehensive tourism strategy, the China Tourism Strategy and Action Plan (2012-2020), to continue to cater to the large Chinese market. The strategy is aimed at capitalising on the existing market and ensuring ongoing growth for the industry.

View Source

Sydney Chinese New Year Festival

Celebrate the Lunar New Year at City of Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival. This vibrant arts Festival has a program bursting with cultural events, markets, tours, exhibitions and entertainment, most of them free. Join in the celebrations for the Year of the Sheep by including your event in the 2015 Chinese New Year Festival.

The Festival showpiece is the spectacular Twilight Parade which will lights Sydney streets, with the very popular Dragon Boat Races commencing the following Saturday and Sunday.

With over 80 events to choose from, visit the Sydney Chinese New Year web site to plan your Festival.

For more information - Visit Sydneychinesenewyear.com

Also - Chinese New Year Festival Launch

As the warmth of a Sydney summer evening comes alive with a feast of flavours from a vast array of cooking stalls, firecrackers are guaranteed to scare off any lingering misfortunes from the previous year. Soak up the atmosphere and then tuck into a bowl or two of delicious New Year dumplings with family and friends, before you settle in for a night of celebrations.

There will be lion dancing, as well as special launch night performances on the market stage, including a sneak preview of the Twilight Parade, plenty of pop and more traditional music and dance.

For more information - Visit Sydneychinesenewyear.com

Its Year of the Goat!

1907 13 Feb 1907 - 01 Feb 1908 (Fire)
1919 01 Feb 1919 - 19 Feb 1920 (Earth)
1931 17 Feb 1931 - 05 Feb 1932 (Metal)
1943 05 Feb 1943 - 24 Jan 1944 (Water)
1955 24 Jan 1955 - 11 Feb 1956 (Wood)
1967 09 Feb 1967 - 29 Jan 1968 (Fire)
1979 28 Jan 1979 - 15 Feb 1980 (Earth)
1991 15 Feb 1991 - 03 Feb 1992 (Metal)
2003 01 Feb 2003 - 21 Jan 2004 (Water)
2015 19 Feb 2015 - 07 Feb 2016 (Wood)