Hop into the Year of the Rabbit 2023 with the Edinburgh Chinese New Year Festival
Organisers of Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival today announced a full programme of events and activities across the city to celebrate Chinese New Year and the start of The Year of the Rabbit.
Article Source: Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival
Last Updated: 16 January 2023 15:26
Organisers of Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival today announced a full programme of events and activities across the city to celebrate Chinese New Year and the start of The Year of the Rabbit. The programme, which includes the Official Chinese New Year Concert, a performance of Mulan, a bilingual Ceilidh and a fabulous light show at Edinburgh Castle, also offers online calligraphy, music and Tai Chi workshops and runs from Friday 20 January to Friday 3 February 2023.
According to Chinese Astrology, the Rabbit symbolises patience, luck and longevity. It is believed that the Year of the Rabbit, which officially begins on 22 January, will bring qualities that may have been lacking in the previous year, such as peace and success.
Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival, generously supported by Heriot-Watt University and City of Edinburgh Council and co-ordinated by Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) as part of its China Ready initiative, has become the largest celebration of its kind in Scotland since its inception in 2019.
Rob Lang, Chair of the ETAG China Ready Initiative, said: “We’re delighted to be working with businesses across the city to welcome The Year of the Rabbit by creating a unique and inspiring celebration of Scottish and Chinese culture. Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival creates an excellent opportunity to re-affirm Scotland’s capital city as an inspiring and welcoming destination for overseas visitors, as well as enabling the people of the city to learn more about Chinese culture.”
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra will be joined by a host of special guests to perform a ground-breaking programme of Scottish and Chinese music and song in The Official Chinese New Year Concert at the Usher Hall on 21 January. The Concert will be preceded by Lion and Dragon Dances outside the venue. On 22 and 23 January, Edinburgh Castle will host The Chinese New Year Light Show, organised by the Asian Association of Culture Commerce and Education in Europe and supported by City of Edinburgh Council, which can be viewed, for free, from the Castle Esplanade. Audiences will enjoy a wonderful collection of Chinese performances projected onto the city’s most iconic monument.
On Sunday 22 January, a Chinese New Year cultural and artistic display will take place on the Mound outside the Scottish National Gallery. The Mound Chinese New Year Celebration, organised by Edinburgh Chinese Arts Association, presents Lion Dances, Chinese New Year folk dances, Han costume show, Chinese calligraphy and with lots of audience participation this is a free, fun way to get involved in the celebrations.
Other events in the programme include Lion Dancers at St James Quarter (who are celebrating Chinese New Year for the first time), a Bilingual Ceilidh at St Cecilia’s Hall with live music and a dance caller, Lunar New Year Tarot Card Reading at Harvey Nichols with Kalem, Scotland’s leading palmist, a Year of the Rabbit Chinese Art Experience in the Strathberry Boutique in Multrees Walk where customers can enjoy Chinese Calligraphy and paper-cutting artists and Tai Chi, Qigong and Mahjong sessions at the Eric Liddell Centre. Online events include two Chinese Music Workshops, one featuring the Chinese Zither and the second the Erhu and Pipa. Participants can enjoy the music and learn about the importance of these instruments in Chinese Culture. There are also online Chinese New Year taster sessions and Calligraphy workshops.
The final event in the 2023 programme is The Ballad of Mulan which will be performed at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh on 3 February. The performance tells the story of Hua Mulan who replaced her aging father to serve her country, disguising herself as a man, fighting bravely in the army and eventually being reunited with her family.
Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival brings together communities across Edinburgh to celebrate Chinese Culture and offers Chinese residents and students a range of activities to help them celebrate.
Prof. Ian Baxter, from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot Watt University, said: “Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival has become a key moment in the cultural calendar of the city. We are once again delighted to support the Festival, industry partners and cultural venues as we celebrate this important time of the year. What a wonderful opportunity for us all to experience and learn about Chinese culture, and to welcome Chinese visitors back to our city in the spirit of goodwill and friendship.”
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, said: “Each year our celebrations for Chinese New Year in the Capital continue to grow, providing us with an opportunity to enhance Scottish people’s understanding of Chinese culture, so I’m delighted to see another rich programme of events and activities. There really is something for everyone in the programme and alongside the colourful events such as the Official Chinese New Year Concert, performance of Mulan and a wonderful light show at Edinburgh Castle there is also a chance to learn new skills in the online calligraphy, music and Tai Chi workshops.
“Our city has long and proud links with China going back over a century. And as we welcome the Year of the Rabbit, which symbolises patience, luck and longevity peace and success we can look forward to another wonderful celebration and year ahead.”
Mme Hou Danna, Chinese Acting Consul General in Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh Chinese New Year Festival has been a great success and hugely popular since 2019, celebrating both unique Chinese culture and the city’s cultural diversity. I congratulate ETAG and partners on the fantastic programme of the Year of the Rabbit and thank their efforts to put it together. This year’s Festival would be seen as a prelude to fully resume two-way visits and exchanges between China and Scotland, as China had lifted cross-border travel restrictions relating to Covid-19 pandemic effective 8 January. I look forward to supporting our cultural and people-to-people links to go from strength to strength.”
Details of all events and activities across Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival can be found at www.chinesenewyear.scot.
Chinese New Year falls on Sunday 22 January and Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival runs from Friday 20 January to Friday 3 February 2023.
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