NewcastleGateshead welcomes Chinese Year of the Horse

Following the hugely successful New Year’s Eve celebrations in NewcastleGateshead to welcome the arrival of 2014, NewcastleGateshead Initiative is proud to announce another day of celebrations on Sunday 9 February to mark Chinese New Year and the Year of the Horse. Thousands of people are expected in and around Chinatown, Newcastle, for a day of free Chinese events and performances for all the family, including traditional crafts, dance, music, martial arts and food and drink.  The popular dragon, lion and unicorn dances will once again animate the area around the ceremonial Chinese arch on Stowell Street.  The festivities commence at 11:00 and run until 16:00, with the dragon, lion and unicorn dances starting at approximately 12:30. Carol Bell, Head of Culture and Major Events at NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “The Chinese New Year celebrations in NewcastleGateshead are some of the biggest in the North of England.  Thanks to the passion and enthusiasm from the Chinese community in the region, everyone can play a part in the celebrations and learn more about the fascinating culture and heritage of our Chinese residents.  It really is a great day out for all the family.” Other events and activities taking place on Sunday 9 February include; a Chinese market and fairground (Bath Lane & Thornton Square), Chinese zodiac, calligraphy, calendar making and fortune telling (The Chinese Centre, Westgate Road), and a special children’s marquee offering a range of traditional Chinese arts and crafts, including the chance to learn how to write your own name in Chinese (Thornton Square). The Chinese New Year festival programme offers additional events and activities in the weeks leading to and from the official beginning of Chinese New Year on Friday 31 January 2014.  These events include Chinese Brush Painting Workshops (from 25 January at Newcastle Arts Centre), Chinese storytelling and New Year’s Eve party (from 27 January at Newcastle and Gateshead Libraries) and Busy B’s Chinese decoration making for children (Sat 8 & Sun 9 February at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art).  Tyne and Wear Archives & Museums have two Chinese New Year events taking place at Laing Art Gallery (1 February) and Discovery Museum (8 February). The Chinese New Year festival programme has received support from the Confucius Institute at Newcastle University, a joint venture between Newcastle and Xiamen University, China, that promotes Chinese language and culture through teaching programmes and cultural exchanges. This year also sees a very special Chinese New Year Grand Raffle with winning prizes including; return flights from Newcastle - Hong Kong (courtesy of Happy Travel) or Newcastle – Taiwan (courtesy of Emirates Airlines), an iPad (courtesy of The Confucius Institute), a £200 voucher for Fujiyama and much more.  Tickets cost £1 and will be on sale throughout Chinatown businesses during the Chinese New Year celebrations. For full details of all the events taking place during NewcastleGateshead’s Chinese New Year celebrations, please visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/ChineseNewYear