The Hua Xian Chinese Society in 2005 first held community celebrations to coincide with the East Asian lunar new year or also popularly known as Chinese New Year at Morecambe’s Woodhill Lane Community Centre.
In subsequent years, events were hosted in various venues across Lancaster and Morecambe including Lancaster University’s Great Hall, Lancaster Town Hall, Morecambe’s St Barnabas Community Centre, local libraries, schools and shopping centres.
In 2011, the Festival adopted a new approach and with the support of Arts Council England, it was able to expand it programme from a single day to an extended month of events including an exhibition by Candian based Taiwanese artist Ed Pien at the Storey Gallery, a Chinese Film Season at the Dukes Theatre and pop-up arts exhibitions by local artists in St Nicholas Arcades.
Since then, its has been a regular feature of Lancaster’s vibrant festival scene with the Chinese New Year Carnival and an evolving programme of outreach activities, exhibitions and touring theatre.
What is popularly known as Chinese New Year is an event is marked by many cultures that observe a calendar based on the moon as it completes its annual cycle. Celebrations are held across the world but none more so than in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities with traditional festivities lasting 15 days.
People take the opportunity to be reunited with friends and family during this period and across China and the world, you’ll see colourful exuberent celebrations out on the streets bringing together the community, as well as reuniting friends and family at home.
