South West's largest Chinese New Year event to return this weekend - It's been running for over 30 years!

Wai Yee Hong’s annual Lunar (Chinese) New Year event started over 30 years ago, where it held an annual simple lion dance in the street outside the little shop on Station Road to bless the small business for the coming year.

The tradition continued after Wai Yee Hong Chinese Supermarket moved premises to the Eastgate Oriental City complex.

As more people came to see the lion dance each year, “some friends offered to perform martial arts, to dance and to sing,” Jo from Wai Yee Hong Chinese Supermarket explained.

A stage was made so everyone could see the new performances and, upon a friend’s suggestion, food stalls for visitors were introduced to the event.

Thousands of pounds are now raised for The Grand Appeal with Wai Yee Hong Chinese Supermarket’s annual Lunar (Chinese) New Year event.

The event has been warmly received by the Bristol community.

Jo said: “Our event has been so warmly received by everyone, not just the Chinese community, for which we are so grateful.

“We've always found the people in Bristol to be so diverse and welcoming of other cultures.

“We're so happy to see everyone come out to celebrate with us and to support such a great cause. “

What to expect at the South West’s largest Lunar (Chinese) New Year Event

This year’s Lunar (Chinese) New Year event at Wai Yee Hong, Eastgate Oriental City will be held on February 1.

The free event will feature traditional lion dances at 11am and 1.30pm.

The will also be performances from:

- Money God

- Collegiate Prep School Choir

- Bristol Taekwondo (Martial arts)

- KALA CHNG (Singer)

- UWE K-Pop (Dance)

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- Clevedon Youth Dance

- Jodie Yang Cooper (Singer)

- Bristol Chinese Folk Dance

- Bristol Chinese Christian Church - Erhu & Cantonese opera

- South Gloucestershire Chinese Association (Dance)

- Juju (dancer)

- PUMA Martial Arts

- Yi Quin Lion Dance Troupe

- The Wutan School of Chinese Martial Arts

- University of Bristol Lion Dance Troupe

The Festive Street Food Market will also return with a wide variety of delicious food stalls, and opportunities for glitter tattoos and face painting.

Why the Lunar (Chinese) New Year is so important

The Lunar (Chinese) New Year or Spring Festival is the biggest celebration in the Chinese calendar.

Two important meals with friends and family are held during the event: the Reunion Dinner and the Open Year Dinner.

The Reunion Dinner is held before the New Year to “see out the old year with family and friends”. Tangyuan (sweet sticky rice balls) are ate to represent togetherness and unity of the family and friends who share them.

During the Open Year Dinner, family and friends see in the New Year together and consume certain dishes to ensure a lucky and prosperous year for all.

Jo explained: “There are many foods that have meaning over the New Year; often these are homophones for lucky and prosperous things.

“We gift large clementines because their name sounds like 'big luck'.

“We eat lotus roots because they sound like 'every year have'.

“Prawns are consumed because '蝦' (romanised as 'ha') sounds like laughing, so we want to have a happy year, full of laughter!

“A whole fish is commonly consumed because it sounds like 'abundance'.”