Culture China
14:46, 03-Feb-2019
Downing Street decorated for Chinese New Year celebration
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No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence and offices of the British prime minister and the chancellor of the exchequer, has been transformed for the Chinese New Year celebration.
The No. 10 door was specially decorated with cherry blossoms and traditional well-wishing Chinese couplets.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Theresa May hosted a Chinese New Year celebration reception at No. 10 Downing Street.
British Prime Minister Theresa May "dots the eyes" of a dragon outside the British Embassy in Beijing, February 1, 2018. /VCG Photo
British Prime Minister Theresa May "dots the eyes" of a dragon outside the British Embassy in Beijing, February 1, 2018. /VCG Photo
She welcomed families from across Britain to Downing Street for a colorful Chinese New Year reception, according to a government statement released on Friday.
Guests were treated to a display of lights and hanging lanterns.
The community-focused event saw primary school children from schools in Manchester, Birmingham, West Midlands, Liverpool, Brighton, Essex and London mingling with other guests.
May took part in the lion-eye-dotting ceremony, an ancient Chinese ritual signifying luck and prosperity, in which the lion's head is dotted with paint to awaken it to dance.
A girl poses for a Lunar New Year picture in the street in Chinatown, Yangon , Myanmar, February 1, 2019. /VCG Photo
A girl poses for a Lunar New Year picture in the street in Chinatown, Yangon , Myanmar, February 1, 2019. /VCG Photo
Theresa May said,"The UK is home to a vibrant British Chinese population and the Chinese New Year celebrations give us the opportunity to celebrate the important role that our Chinese community plays in British life.
"I was delighted to welcome so many children and young people to Downing Street to take part in our own celebrations and I'd like to wish everyone celebrating the Chinese New Year a prosperous and auspicious Year of the Pig."
Children
from the London Mandarin School took part in a range of traditional Chinese
arts and craft activities across No. 10's State Rooms including Chinese
paper-cutting, knot-tying and lantern-making.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is illuminated red for the 2019 Lunar New Year Festival, February 1, 2019, in Sydney, Australia. Sydney Lunar Festival has evolved from a small community celebration in Chinatown 23 years ago and now attracts more than 1.3 million visitors from all over the world each year. /VCG Photo
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is illuminated red for the 2019 Lunar New Year Festival, February 1, 2019, in Sydney, Australia. Sydney Lunar Festival has evolved from a small community celebration in Chinatown 23 years ago and now attracts more than 1.3 million visitors from all over the world each year. /VCG Photo
Actually apart from the celebration for the Chinese New Year in the UK, there are a lot of celebrations from other countries all over the globe. Click links below to read more about Spring Festival celebrations in the world:
(Top Photo: Decorations on the door of No.10 Downing Street in central London, January 31, 2019, ahead of an event to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. /VCG Photo)
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency