The Chinese New Year celebrations at the Chinese Garden of Friendship will begin on the weekend of
Saturday 21 January and Sunday 22 January, 2012 with the
Chinese Garden of Friendship Open Weekend. From 9:30am to 5pm, you and your family are invited to discover the beautiful surrounds of the
Chinese Garden of Friendship for free, and if you attend of Saturday 21 January at 11:30am, you will also have the chance to see a colourful lion dance at the Chinese Garden forecourt. And then from
Monday, 23 January 2012, which is Chinese New Year, there will be several workshops and fun activities for the whole family to enjoy at the Chinese Garden of Friendship.
Some of the highlights of the Chinese New Year festival program include the
China Talks Series, which is a series of public lectures presented by the
Confucius Institute at UNSW. Topics include
Quest for Paradise: The History and Design of the Classical Chinese Garden,
The Chinese Garden as a Public Sphere,
Aesthetics in Ancient Chinese Architecture and
Feng Shui. If you are interested in attending any of these fascinating events, which run on selected days from
Monday 23 January to Friday 3 February, 2012, please note that bookings are essential. For further information on any of these public lectures, please visit the
Darling Harbour website. These events are free with the standard Chinese Garden of Friendship entry fee; Adults $6, Children (under 12 yrs) $3, Concession (Australian pensioners and students) $3.
Image credit: Barendpt (Wikimedia Commons)
In addition to the public lectures series, there is also a series of
workshops for children and adults. For children, there is a special event entitled
Chinese Whispers as well as a
Chinese Paper Fan Making workshop and
Origami and Horoscope workshop. For adults there are several classes of interest, including
Tai Chi,
Meditation and
Yoga. Bookings are also required to attend the various workshop events, which run on selected days from
Monday 23 January to Sunday 5 February, 2012. Please note that bookings are essential. For further information on any of these workshop events, please visit the
Darling Harbour website. Again, these workshop events are free with the standard Chinese Garden of Friendship entry fee.
Finally, there is the Chinese New Year entertainment program which consists of a
Red Ribbon Dance, Magic and Acrobatics performance,
Traditional Chinese Dance in the Garden and
Shaolin Monk Martial Arts Demonstration, which will be followed by a special Q&A session. These special events will run on selected days from
Friday 20 January to Saturday 4 February, 2012. Please see the
Darling Harbour website for further information.
Image credit: Barendpt (Wikimedia Commons)
So, head down to the Chinese Garden of Friendship during this year's Chinese New Year festivities. There really is a lot to do and explore in this beautiful location and as the various public lectures, workshops and entertainment program are free with the standard Chinese Garden of Friendship entry fee, it is a fantastic place to celebrate the
Year of the Dragon.
