Lunar New Year, Sydney style

Sydney officially welcomed the Year of the Rooster this evening, launching the City of Sydney’s 17-day Chinese New Year Festival in spectacular style.

A traditional lion dance and eye dotting ceremony below two eight-metre-high Rooster lanterns at the Sydney Opera House kicked-off the activities around the harbour foreshore.

Thousands of visitors to the city enjoyed the festival atmosphere as the 12 giant zodiac animals of the Lunar Lanterns exhibition were lit and some of Sydney’s most iconic buildings were illuminated red.

A 15-minute fireworks display lit the skies above Sydney as more lions and hundreds of traditional fire crackers went off with a bang in Chinatown, the cultural heart of the festival.

As part of the festival, the City of Sydney in collaboration with Westpac is Painting the Town Red including the sails of the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Town Hall and other buildings across the city. The buildings will glow the lucky red colour for three nights from 27–29 January.

Also glowing red was the Capitol Theatre, David Jones Elizabeth Street and the State Library of NSW. The Australian National Maritime Museum roof featured a special festival animation of the 2017 Rooster. It will run until 29 January.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said Sydney’s Lunar New Year celebrations are an internationally renowned event attracting over a million local and international visitors to the city.

“From its humble beginnings in Chinatown 21 years ago, our annual event has grown to become the largest Lunar New Year celebration outside Asia,” the Lord Mayor said.

“With over 80 associated events on our festival calendar this year there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re walking around the Harbour to take in the amazing Lunar Lanterns exhibition and seeing our iconic buildings lit lucky red, taking part in the largest dragon boat regatta in the Southern Hemisphere or sampling from the feast on offer in Chinatown, Sydney offers a spectacular and unique way to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Westpac for a second year and encourage all Sydneysiders to enjoy the sights and sounds as we welcome the Year of the Rooster.”

Tonight was also cause for celebration for design duo amigo and amigo as the lights went on for their latest work, the hero Rooster lantern at the Sydney Opera House.

Two eight-metre wide, eight-metre high roosters are engaged in a dancing fight to symbolise their strength and courage. The artists have featured vibrant colours throughout the roosters’ feathers, with gold and red in their tails symbolising good luck.

“This is one of the biggest projects we have ever undertaken. Having our work exhibited at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival is a real privilege,” said Simone Chua of amigo and amigo.

“The project has enabled my business partner Renzo and I to explore our own Chinese heritage and cultural traditions, which will leave a lasting impression on our own Lunar New Year celebrations.”

Now in its second year, the Lunar Lanterns exhibition is curated by and features the work of Claudia Chan Shaw along with some of Australia’s most exciting contemporary Chinese Australian artists including Tianli Zu, Guo Jian, Fan Dongwang, Laurens Tan, Qian Jian Hua and Hu Ming.

Lunar Lanterns is an interpretation of a centuries-old tradition. It features 12 giant animal signs of the zodiac lanterns around the foreshore from the Sydney Opera House to Dawes Point, with an additional Rooster lantern in Chinatown. The lantern designs and sheer scale make them equally impressive day or night.

The Lunar Lanterns will be on display throughout the 17 days of this year’s festival.

Bernadette Inglis, Westpac’s Group General Manger for Retail and Premium Bank, said Westpac is delighted to partner with the City of Sydney to celebrate Lunar New Year across the country with the Asian community.

“Westpac loves Lunar New Year because it’s all about celebrating multicultural Australia and our wonderfully dynamic and diverse Chinese community. In this Year of the Rooster, Westpac will celebrate 200 years of proudly supporting multicultural customers to prosper and grow. We’re thrilled to be part of the vibrant Lunar New Year Festival as we lead up to our bicentennial.”

With over 80 events, including Lunar Lanterns, Massaoke (mass karaoke), community performances, traditional lion dances and crackers and the Dragon Boats Races, there are plenty of ways to welcome in the Year of the Rooster, Sydney style.

The lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails as part of Painting the Town Red is produced by the City of Sydney in collaboration with Westpac and Sydney’s Chinese community through the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China.

Program highlights include:

Lunar Lanterns – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February

Twelve spectacular contemporary lanterns ranging in sizes up to 10 metres high create the ultimate zodiac animal lantern experience around Circular Quay from the Sydney Opera House to Dawes Point.

It features work by some of Australia’s most exciting contemporary Asian Australian artists including new lanterns by Tianli Zu (Rooster – Chinatown), design duo amigo and amigo (Rooster at the Sydney Opera House and Snake at Circular Quay Station), and Guo Jian (Rat at Customs House).

Roosters love to be the centre of attention and cock of the walk so this year we will have Rooster lanterns lighting up at The Sydney Opera House and Dixon Street Mall in Chinatown.

Westpac Painting the Town Red – Friday, Saturday and Sunday on 27, 28 and 29 January

Sydney’s most famous landmarks are lit auspicious red for three nights to welcome the Year of the Rooster. Westpac Painting the Town Red will highlight the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay Station, Sydney Town Hall, The Capitol Theatre, David Jones Elizabeth Street and the State Library of NSW.

The Australian National Maritime Museum roof also features a special festival animation of the 2017 Rooster.

Westpac Lunar Lantern Hub – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February

Martin Place transforms into the Westpac Lunar Lanterns Hub from 5pm until late for the 17 nights of the festival. It features a 50-metre canopy of red lanterns, food, drink, nightly DJ, and entertainment along with The Star Fortune Mahjong Garden.

On Friday 3 February, the hub will host a party to mark the 21st birthday of the festival in Sydney with lion dances, performances, live music and an opportunity for everyone to join an enormous singalong at ‘massaoke’.

Community Performances – Friday and Saturday evenings on 27 and 28 January and 3, 4, 10 and 11 February

Audiences will enjoy 37 hours of live pop-up style street performances by around 40 groups from Sydney’s Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese communities. More than 1,000 performers will bring the city’s streets to life with hip hop, folk dance, martial arts and traditional dance performances.

The popular community performance program is happening at Customs House Square forecourt and Martin Place on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the festival.

Chinatown Celebrations – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February

Chinatown is the historical home and the cultural heart of the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival. It is the place to visit for an authentic traditional Lunar New Year experience. For 17 days, Chinatown will come alive with the sights and sounds of Lion Dance performances and traditional New Year firecrackers to drive away evil every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A highlight is the ancient, unique art of ‘face changing’ and the Chuanbei Big Puppet Show performed by the Sichuan Art Group from China on Saturday 4 February at 6pm.

Pitt Street Mall – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February

It is customary to splurge on new clothes and gifts during Lunar New Year and Pitt Street Mall is the perfect place for a contemporary retail experience. Soak up the atmosphere under the Royal Roosters purple lanterns to raise awareness for the official Charity Partner Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.

China in Sydney – international delegation performances and workshops – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February

Each year the City of Sydney welcomes visiting artists from China. This year we welcome visiting artists from China’s south-west province of Sichuan and the north-western province of Shaanxi.

Highlights include the Sichuan Art Group performing the ancient, unique art of ‘Face Changing’ and the delightful Chuanbei Big Puppet Show. The Shannxi troupe of performers will perform a loud and colourful expression of rural and ancient Shaanxi culture.

Sichuan artists will also conduct hands-on workshops on Sunday 5 Feb from 4pm to 7pm teaching kids the ancient art techniques of sugar painting, lantern making, dough modelling, shadow puppets and New Year painting.

Dragon Boat Races – Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February

5,000 paddlers will churn up the water as thousands of spectators line the banks of Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour to watch the boats battle it out in the southern hemisphere’s largest dragon boat racing festival.

Associated Events – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February

More than 80 associated events across Sydney will offer diverse ways to celebrate of the Lunar New Year. Events include singing karaoke at the top of the Harbour Bridge, tea ceremonies, exploring the moon at Sydney Observatory, lantern workshops and photography exhibitions. Renowned composer Tan Dun will conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House.

Lunar Eats – Friday 27 January – Sunday 12 February

Adam Liaw believes Sydney has the best Asian food in the world and he wants to help you eat your way around Sydney this Lunar New Year. Whether you are looking for a traditional Asian banquet or something with a contemporary Asian twist there will be plenty of options to savour the taste of Asia. Check our Adam’s top tips and the Lunar Eats at sydneychinesenewyear.com

Cure Brain Cancer Foundation – Official Charity Partner

City of Sydney is proud to partner with Cure Brain Cancer Foundation as the 2017 Sydney Chinese New Year Festival charity partner.

Sydneysiders are encouraged to help transform the fortunes for people with brain cancer by celebrating the New Year with a fundraising ‘cock-tail’ at select venues throughout the city, and by visiting the Royal Roosters in Pitt Street Mall. There are plenty of fun activities, including dumpling eating competitions, ‘chicks’ at the flicks, brain games and more.

For full details on the Sydney Chinese Year Festival program visit sydneychinesenewyear.com

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For media inquiries or images, contact City of Sydney Senior Media Advisor Elaine Kelly on 0477 362 550 or [email protected] or Event Publicist Sandy Ellison on 0419 383 807 or [email protected]