Chinese New Year Festival Twilight Parade to light up Sydney

The first ever Chinese New Year Twilight Parade will light up the city this Sunday 1 February 2009.

“Starting at dusk, Sydney’s streets will host a stunning night time parade with a procession of performers in colourful costumes and spectacular floats,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said.

Featuring 2,600 people, the Twilight Parade will showcase the very best local performers and 500 performers from Henan Province, China, the home of the famous Shaolin Temple. It will feature dragons, giant lanterns and illuminated floats, followed by a fireworks display at Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour.

Parade Director Darren Yap said; “Twelve beautiful giant lanterns, each representing a symbol of the Chinese Zodiac, will mark 12 sections of the parade. Leading will be the three-metre tall Fa Lady (Flower Lady), 17-year-old singer Danielle Meng who will sing a specially commissioned song Red Lanterns Glowing. It will be a magical night.”

The Parade will feature 22 floats altogether, including five spectacular 11-metre long floats from Henan Province.

Other highlights of the Parade:

• Gold Diggers – a celebration of the Chinese who came to Australia in the 1800s.

• Skylines – dancing buildings such as the Hong Kong Bank of China and the Sydney Harbour Bridge – a tribute to our relationship with China.

• Warriors of Fire – fire-twirling Samurai warriors to light up the night.

• Kitchen Cart – hilarious Chinese Marx Brothers juggling food and cooking up a storm.

• Dancing Dumplings – kids dressed as spring rolls and yummy sweet buns.

• Lunar Moon – cultures moving together under the same moon, celebrating our diversity.

• Children from local public schools carrying their own hand made lanterns.

• Australian Chinese World War 2 veterans.

Chinese New Year Twilight Parade
When: 7.45pm – 9.30pm, Sunday 1 February 2009
Where: Town Hall – Chinatown, followed by fireworks at Cockle Bay

For more information visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au