Birmingham is set to mark Chinese New Year with the traditional lion dance, touring key locations across the city. Starting at the Council House and continuing through the Business District, Nechells, and more, this spectacle symbolises good fortune and renewal as the Year of the Snake begins.
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00:00So, Year of the Snake, you know, when you look at the resemblance of an animal snake,
00:04it gives it an opportunity for new growth, but it has to be cautious. So, we're talking
00:09about, you know, if you want to make a new start to do anything, maybe this time you
00:14could and should think about it, but be cautious that it is optimistic.
00:19The Lion Dance is a tradition rich in symbolism, bringing blessings of good fortune, wisdom
00:24and renewal as Birmingham celebrates the arrival of the Year of the Snake. Today's tour begins
00:30here at the Council House and will travel across the city, sharing this vibrant cultural
00:35spectacle with schools, businesses and communities. Organised by the Birmingham Chinese Festival
00:41Committee, it's a celebration of unity and tradition, with organisers highlighting the
00:46joy and significance it brings to diverse audiences.
00:49Well, Chinese New Year is actually the first festival in the calendar when it comes to
00:57diversity and the New Year, Chinese New Year, hopefully to bring good luck, good fortune
01:01to everyone around and obviously Birmingham is a very diverse city and obviously we want
01:05to do our little part to add on to the cultural mix and Chinese New Year is always a good
01:09celebration for everyone.
01:11As the city comes together to celebrate, the event's organisers are focused not only on
01:16sharing tradition, but also on ensuring every detail is carefully planned, from co-ordinating
01:22performances to managing logistics across multiple locations, bringing this spectacle
01:28to life takes months of preparation.
01:31I mean last year we had in excess of 30,000 people coming in and the budget wise is close
01:36towards £100,000 and we have to work very hard behind the scenes, getting all the sponsors
01:40to come in and obviously co-ordinating, it takes months and months of preparation. Thank
01:45God we've got Hippodrome and Southside Bid involved and we're able to get everything
01:49done.
01:50Hopefully it will be sunshine on Sunday and everyone will see a lot of colours, festivities,
01:54you'll see pom pom, the ten foot panda as well, as well as many lion and dragon dances.