Chinese New Year Celebrations in Liverpool

Chapter One of the Liverpool 2018 ‘China Dream’ opens with spectacular celebrations for the Year of the Dog

Home to the oldest Zhong Guo Cheng (Chinatown) in Europe and the location of one of the largest Chinese Arches outside of China, it’s no wonder that the Chinese community in Liverpool knows how to throw a Chinese New Year celebration.

This year the celebrations, which run from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th February, will continue the 2017 story of the mythical Jingwei bird. The projections this year are set to tell the story of The Jingwei Legacy colourfully illustrating how Chinese communities arrived and developed in Liverpool and across the UK.

The twelve minute show will run on a loop for one hour on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th (starting at 7:30pm) and for half an hour on Sunday 18th (starting at 6pm), with each evening ending with a pyrotechnic finale.

As well as the traditional celebrations in Great George Square, which feature parades and street performers, family workshops, installations there will be a bustling Chinese market packed with delicious food stalls and vendors selling traditional gifts.

A great addition to this year’s celebrations is the exciting Jingwei Legacy Augmented Reality (AR) trail, which will allow children and grown ups alike to follow the stories of ten people of Chinese descent – a poet, a jazz singer, a hip hop duo, a mechanic, a visual artist, a fashion designer, a marketing manager, a choirmaster, a dancer and a community activist – investigating their heritage as we see them work. See the image below to see how you can follow the trail – you can find the map here.

Chapter One of the “China Dream” season also features the arrival of the Terracotta Warriors at the Liverpool World Museum (9th February – 28th October) – the first time the life-size figurines who guarded the tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang have ever come to the UK.

Esteemed Chinese cellist, Jian Wang, will appear at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on the 8th and 9th of February, while St George’s Hall will host a brand new contemporary art exhibition Presence: A Window into Contemporary Chinese Art from 9th February until 3rd June 2018.

If you fancy absorbing some Chinese culture with a scouse twist, why not book a stay in one of our city centre apartments? Don’t worry if you can’t make it for Chapter One. Chapter Two: The Dragon Boat Festival runs from June to August and Chapter Three: Moon Festival takes place until October – check back for more updates!