Liverpool’s Chinese New Year celebrations are well underway as thousands of lanterns line city centre streets, images of the Chinese zodiac animals have appeared on walls and in shop windows and buildings have turned red.
All the activities mark the Year of the Pig and the 20th anniversary of the city’s twinning with Shanghai and will take place this weekend (Friday 8 to Sunday 10 February) as brand new projections and pyrotechnics light up Chinatown in a special show called The Quest for the Arch – a story following the journey of a little girl and a pig from Shanghai to Liverpool.
Here is a rundown of the events so you don’t miss a thing:
Friday 8 & Saturday 9 February
7pm Entertainment will start from 7pm as Hung Gar Kung Fu Friendship Association wow crowds with an illuminated dragon and Lion dance symbolising good luck and fortune. There will also be performances by Chinese and British students in traditional costume with a soundtrack ranging from opera to hip hop, in a partnership by Pagoda Arts, Everyman Playhouse and Liverpool Confucius Institute.
7.30pm The Quest for the Arch – the twelve minute projection and pyro show takes place.
Sunday 10 February
Parade times
11.30am Dragon and Lion parade begins, starting from the Black-e.
12.15pm Unicorn parade starts outside the Chung Wah supermarket on Nelson Street.
Both parades will meet around 1pm in Great George Square where a firecracker display will take place. They will then continue on their separate routes and finish from 3.30pm.
Great George Square
11.30am – 5.30pm Family zone open. Area includes Shadow Puppet Theatre, lantern making and calligraphy workshops, storytelling and dance sessions.
11.30am – 12.15pm Kwong Tam School of Tai Chi (in association with See Yep Association)
12.20 – 1pm Flower Drums, Fan Tai Chi, Dance and Happy Dance! (Pagoda Arts)
1.05 – 1.45pm Firecracker display – Lucky Man, Dragon and Unicorn Parades
1.45 – 2pm Martial arts demonstration (Liverpool Hung Gar Kung Fu Friendship Association)
2 – 2.20pm Traditional Chinese dance (Wah Sing Community Centre Dancers)
2.20 -2.25pm Tibetan Dance (Friendship Dancers)
2.25 – 2.35pm Liverpool Phoenix Qipiao Team
2.40 – 3.10pm 24 Festival Drums (Liverpool Guild of Students)
3.15 – 3.20pm Chinese fan dance (Friendship Dancers)
3.20 – 3.30pm Movema Dance
3.30 – 3.40pm Traditional Chinese dance (Wirral Chinese Association)
3.40 – 5.15pm Showcase of traditional and contemporary music, dance and song by Chinese students. This is followed by a spectacle of vibrant costume, music and dance (Everyman Playhouse and Liverpool Confucius Institute)
Nelson Street (outside The Black-e)
11.30 – 11.40am Chinese fusion dance (Movema Dance Youth and Community Group)
6 – 6.30pm Hung Gar Kung Fu Friendship Association wow crowds with an illuminated dragon and Lion dance symbolising good luck and fortune. There will also be performances by Chinese and British students in traditional costume with a soundtrack ranging from opera to hip hop, in a partnership by Pagoda Arts, Everyman Playhouse and Liverpool Confucius Institute. Movema Dance and 24 Festival Drums will also perform and there will be a traditional lion and dragon dance.
6.30pm The Quest for the Arch – the twelve minute projection and pyro show takes place.
6.45pm Event ends
A fairground for youngsters will also be onsite and the popular Chinese market on George Street selling gifts, souvenirs and mouth-watering Chinese food.
For more information about timings, activities, family workshops or the projections, visit: www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/cny or follow @culturelpool on Twitter or Culture Liverpool on Facebook. #ChineseNewYear #CNYLiverpool
The event is organised by Liverpool City Council and is supported by Liverpool Chinese Business Association, the Liverpool BID Company, Liverpool ONE, Heart, Stagecoach and Royal Liver Building 360.
Road closures:
7.30pm to 8.30pm – Thursday 7 February 2019
Closure of Great George Street from Duke Street to Upper Parliament Street in order to allow for a test/rehearsal of the projection show.
6.45pm until 8pm – Friday 8 February and Saturday 9 February 2019
Great George Street from Duke Street to Upper Parliament Street
Upper Duke Street from Rodney Street (west bound only)
6am until 10pm on Sunday 10 February 2019
Gt. George Street (from its junction with St James Street to its junction with Duke Street), Duke Street (from its junction with Gt. George Street to its junction with Berry Street), Upper Duke Street (from its junction with Berry Street to its junction with Rodney Street), Berry Street (from its junction with Leece Street/Renshaw Street to its junction with Duke Street), Nelson Street (from its junction with Gt. George Street to its junction with Upper Pitt Street), Grenville Street South (from its junction with Bailey Street to its junction with Cornwallis Street), Sankey Street (entire length), Griffiths Street (entire length), Seel Street (from its junction with Colquitt Street to its junction with Berry Street), Back Berry Street (entire length), Knight Street (from its junction with Berry Street to its junction with Rodney Street), Roscoe Street (from its junction with Leece Street to its junction with Upper Duke Street), Bold Place (entire length), Roscoe Lane (entire length), Back Knight Street (entire length), Cookson Street (entire length), Pitt Street (entire length), Upper Pitt Street (from its junction with Nelson Street to its junction with Hardy Street), York Street (entire length), Raffles Street (entire length), Bold Street (from its junction with Berry Street to its junction with Newington/ Renshaw St/Leece. Access to business/residents will be allowed up to 2pm).
Please note that Great George Street will remain closed until 10pm on this day but it is anticipated that all other roads will reopen earlier than this time.
Hanover Street
Due to the closure of Berry Street access to businesses on Hanover Street will be severely restricted from Seel Street. It is recommended that any deliveries etc. are made before 10.00am on the day.
Great George Street closure requires a bus and traffic diversion for the duration of the event
Alternative Route will be via: – either Leece Street, Hardman Street, Myrtle Street, Catherine Street, Upper Parliament Street; or Upper Parliament Street, Grove Street, Oxford Street, Mount Pleasant, Rodney Street or Clarence Street to follow other locally signed diversion routes.
All closures will be clearly signposted.
