Feature: London gives a warm welcome to the Year of the Dragon
Published: 27 January, 2012
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The Chinese Year of the Dragon roared into Westminster on Sunday (January 29) with a parade and festival showcasing the best of Chinese culture.
The festivities started at 10am with a New Year parade around the West End, before reaching Trafalgar Square at noon.
The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Susie Burbridge, was joined by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Chinese Ambassador to London, Liu Xiaoming, to speak at the opening ceremony of the festival.
After the speeches, the celebrations kicked off with traditional dragon dancing, music and performances on the Trafalgar Square stage.
A second stage in Shaftesbury Avenue hosted performances from a range of local community groups and schools.
The capital’s famous Chinatown played host to a parade by lion dancers, as well as a range of stalls selling traditional produce throughout the day.
Speaking ahead of the celebrations, Councillor Colin Barrow, leader of Westminster Council and himself born in the year of the dragon (1952), said: “Sunday’s parade and festival is not only a great way for our Chinese community in Westminster to see in the new year, but it is a great chance for all Londoners to celebrate the Chinese culture and thank the Chinese community for the fantastic contribution that they make to life in our great city.
“We have an exciting year ahead, and I look forward to working with the local community in showcasing this unique part of Westminster to the wider world during this summer’s Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“I would like to wish all of our residents a very Happy Chinese New Year.”
The year of the dragon is one of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac and is the only animal that is legendary.