Birmingham Gears up to usher in the Year of the Snake

Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor John Lines and Leader of Birmingham City Council Councillor Sir Albert Bore will be on hand to mark the start of the Celebration by performing the traditional Ceremony of Dotting the Dragon's eyes. The celebrations will start with a bang, with an extravagant dragon and lion dance closely followed by a fireworks display. Acrobatic and cultural displays will fill the rest of the programme and there is sure to be something for everyone. There will be traditional craft stalls open from 11.30am which visitors can browse at their leisure throughout the day as a result of the closure of Hurst Street, and there will be an even bigger screen than last year enabling visitors to continue following the action onstage while browsing the stalls. The day will be concluded with a spectacular Firework Finale.

Festival Committee Chairman, Jeffrey Yap said "As proven by previous years, the Celebration here in Birmingham is by no means confined to the Chinese Community. Each year we are thrilled to welcome people from all members communities to join in the fun and enjoy celebrating one of the oldest celebrated festivals in the world. Thanks to the involvement of our main Dragon sponsor, Lyca Mobile, and Tiger sponsor Genting Casinos we have been able to put on an even bigger and better show for the people of Birmingham." Subaskaran Allirajah, Group Chairman, Lycamobile comments, “We are incredibly proud of our strong connection to the Chinese community in the UK.  Lycamobile was founded with the mission of bringing people together and we are delighted to be continuing this charge with our support of this wonderful festival.  Here’s to the year of the snake, may it be prosperous for all.”

Birmingham’s Chinese New Year Festival, sponsored by Lycamobile, is organised by the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee (BCFC), and is free to the public thanks to the co-operation of our Corporate and Municipal partners. Our Tiger sponsor is Genting Casinos and other partners include: Birmingham City Council (Leisure and Tourism), The Arcadian Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Ibis Hotels (Birmingham City Centre) and Midland Linen Services.

The aims of the BCFC are to organise, develop, and maintain the Chinese New Year Festivities in Birmingham to a standard which reflects the high level of interest the wider community in the Midlands have for Chinese culture. The Committee also strives to promote Chinese culture through organising performances at other events, such as Birmingham's Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival."

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Note to Editors:

• When publishing stories about the above event online, please provide a link to our official website: https://cnybirmingham.org.uk
• Chinese New Year’s Day falls on 10 February 2013.
• Press requiring accreditation for access to the venue on the day should contact

 

The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee is a voluntary, non-profit making organisation. It's membership comprises of: 

 

Birmingham Chinatown Lions Club
Birmingham Chinese Women's Association
Birmingham Chinese Society
Birmingham Overseas Chinese Association School
Arcadian Centre Management
Birmingham City Council (Leisure and Tourism Dept.)
Chinese Community Centre Birmingham