Chinese New Year a Boost for NSW Tourism

Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris, welcomed the start of the Chinese New Year this week; highlighting that Sydney’s celebration of the Year of the Dragon is the largest outside Asia.

Mr Souris said Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival and Sydney Airport’s ‘Red Ambassador’ initiative, which welcomes arriving Chinese visitors during the festival period are important not only to the local Chinese community, but for tourism to NSW.

“In 2012, we celebrate the Year of the Dragon, one of the most powerful and a lucky sign in the Chinese zodiac and it coincides with an expected 150,000 visitors from China and Asia to NSW over the next six weeks.

“Sydney Airport’s initiative, the ‘Red Ambassador’ program, will operate with Mandarin-speaking volunteers providing directions and information to arriving visitors. This is a great way to warmly welcome the huge number of visitors who are visiting Sydney at this very special time,” Mr Souris said.

“The Chinese New Year Festival is a great summer family event with free markets, displays and exhibitions, entertainment and cultural activities.

“The NSW Government is working to maximise opportunities for boosting tourism from China and Hong Kong through a number of marketing campaigns and promotions which position our State as the holiday destination of choice,” Mr Souris said.

Chinese New Year 2012 at the Chinese Garden of Friendship

Friday 20 January - Sunday 5 February

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with family and friends in the Chinese Garden of Friendship.

There's something for everyone, including fun activities for kids, enlightening talks on Chinese culture and insightful demonstrations.

Don't miss the open weekend on Saturday 21 January and Sunday 22 January when entry to the Garden is free for everyone.

Dragon Set to Burst into New Year

The city is preparing itself for a 13-day Chinese New Year party, complete with cultural dances, dragon boat races and a parade. The Year of the Dragon officially begins at 12.40pm on Monday January 23 but Sydney is starting its celebrations early, kicking off on Friday, January 20.

The Festival launch is a free event at Belmore Park, opposite from Central Station, and will feature a food market. MasterChef contestant Adam Liaw and Alvin Quah will be there to run cooking demonstrations.

Besides the food stalls there is also a stage for Asian Pop and Karaoke competitions with a special show by Chendu performers. Lion and dragon dance troupes will attack stages in their colourful costumes.

The Chinese Youth League of Australia, a dance and martial arts group based in Sydney will be performing on the day and throughout the Festival.
The League’s President Patricia Quah said: “There will be a staged show with dancing, singing, lion dance, dragon dance and the God of Fortune.”

“We are fully booked for lion dances but we don’t run it as a business, it’s all done by volunteers, none of us get paid, not even me.”

The League, which has been part of setting the entertainment program, is a regular participant in the annual event and has been operating for over 70 years. “We have been operating for 73 years and I was the first woman president after 70 years,” Ms Quah said.

The Chinese New Year Twilight Parade is on Sunday, January 29 and will tour from Sydney Town Hall to Chinatown, ending with a display of fireworks.
“For the Chinese New Year Parade on January 29 there will be hundreds of thousands of people on the road,” Ms Quah said.

Other Festival highlights include a mass tai-chi demonstration on Sunday January 22, the dragon boat races at Darling Harbour on February 4 and 5 and a cultural performance by Chengdu dancers on Monday, January 30.

(Source: City News 18 January 2012)

Sydney Searches for Karaoke Idol

City of Sydney’s popular Sydney Chinese New Year Festival karaoke competition is back, and all karaoke-lovers are being invited to have a go.

“The Sydney Chinese New Year Festival karaoke competition is a highlight of our launch weekend and whether you’re a seasoned entertainer or a first timer, we encourage you to enter this year’s karaoke competition,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Entrants to the annual talent competition will have the chance to sing in front of hundreds of cheering fans at the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival Markets later this month, and even take home some fabulous prizes.

Now in its third year, the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival karaoke extravaganza sees fans of Mando-Pop (Mandarian popular music), J-Pop (Japanese pop), K-Pop (Korean pop) and classic karaoke favourites go mic to mic in the battle to be crowned the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival’s karaoke king or queen.

There will be two heats and a wildcard draw, with 10 finalists selected to perform in front of a live audience and panel of judges on the main stage at the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival Markets in Belmore Park on Saturday 21 January.

Heat 1

Saturday 7 January, 4pm to 6.30pm – Mizuya Japanese Restaurant and Karaoke, 614 George Street, Sydney (opposite Event Cinemas)

Heat 2

Saturday 14 January, 4pm to 6.30pm – Mizuya Japanese Restaurant and Karaoke, 614 George Street, Sydney (opposite Event Cinemas)

Wildcard draw

Saturday 21 January, 6.30pm to 7.30pm – Belmore Park, Sydney

Final

Saturday 21 January, 8pm to 9.30pm – Belmore Park, Sydney

Prizes include: $600 Mizuya dining and karaoke package, two VIP Twilight Parade tickets and much more.

Register now: 02 9266 0866 or info@mizuya.com.au

For more information visit tvb.com.au and for the full Chinese New Year program, visit sydneychinesenewyear.com.au

Chinese New Year 2012: Final Countdown to Year of the Dragon

Chinese New Year 2012 will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 23, marking the beginning of the year of the water dragon and the 4709th year of the Chinese calendar. The holiday is the most important in China and will be met with scores of fireworks and festivities in China, Taiwan and across the globe.

Preparations have begun for the Chinese New Year festivities across the globe. In China, families clean their home, hang red banners with messages of good luck, pay respects to ancestors and begin to plan and prepare meals for Jan. 23. Many families will cover their homes with red paper lanterns and decorations signifying "good fortune," "wealth," "longevity" and "happiness."

Moreover, China will celebrate the national holiday for the week of Jan. 23 to Jan. 27. Equity markets in Hong Kong and China will be closed as the country rings in the Lunar New Year.