Happy Chinese New Year! Celebrations are roaring across Birmingham

A traditional lion dance started in Centenary Square on Westside this morning and it’s travelling across the city all day.

Chinese New Year 2022 will see the ‘Year of the Tiger’. The annual celebration, also called Spring Festival, marks the start of a new lunar year, with festivities traditionally lasting up to two weeks including fireworks, gifts, dragon and lion dances.

The coronavirus pandemic meant that no official events could take place in Birmingham in 2020 or last year.

But with Birmingham being home to thousands of people from the Chinese community, Westside BID is thrilled to welcome back traditional new year celebrations to the city.

The event is organised by James Wong, chair of Birmingham’s Chinese Festival Committee and managing director of the city’s famous Chung Ying Restaurants.

There are further free events being held at Birmingham Hippodrome and the Bullring on Saturday to celebrate the New Year also.

Mr Wong has worked for the family business for over 20 years, working his way up to managing director. He gives up much of his and the company’s time and resources to maintain links with the elderly Chinese community.

Mr Wong said: “I made it my mission a few years ago to spread these celebrations across the city, and I’m pleased to say I’ve done it! The idea is to preserve Chinese heritage and to spread cheer, luck and prosperity in the city.”

Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, said: “Birmingham is a wonderful and incredibly diverse city to be a part of and we are thrilled to commence these celebrations on Westside on the 1 February.”

Here’s a full list of the times and locations where the lion dance will take place in Birmingham on Tuesday afternoon:

·       12.30pm – Edgbaston cricket ground

·       12.45pm – Park View

·       1pm – Moseley Hall

·       1.30pm – Chinatown

·       2.15pm – Birmingham City FC

·       3pm – City Hospital

·       3.30pm – West Bromwich Albion

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