Celebrating Chinese New Year in Edinburgh
Edinburgh will celebrate Chinese New Year Festival with a huge programme of events and activities in the city to mark The Year of the Rabbit.
The Official Chinese New Year Concert will be held at the Usher Hall on Saturday, and the programme also includes a performance of Mulan, a bilingual ceilidh and a light show at Edinburgh Castle. There is also the opportunity to try your hand at some online calligraphy, and there is music, and Tai Chi workshops.
Chinese New Year events in Edinburgh will run from Friday 20 January to Friday 3 February 2023.
According to Chinese Astrology, the Rabbit symbolises patience, luck and longevity. It is believed that the Year of the Rabbit, which officially begins on 22 January, will bring qualities that may have been lacking in the previous year, such as peace and success.
Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival is supported by Heriot-Watt University and The City of Edinburgh Council. It is co-ordinated by Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) as part of its China Ready initiative, and has become the largest celebration of its kind in Scotland since it began in 2019.
Rob Lang, Chair of the ETAG China Ready Initiative, said: “We’re delighted to be working with businesses across the city to welcome The Year of the Rabbit by creating a unique and inspiring celebration of Scottish and Chinese culture. Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival creates an excellent opportunity to re-affirm Scotland’s capital city as an inspiring and welcoming destination for overseas visitors, as well as enabling the people of the city to learn more about Chinese culture.”
- The Royal Scottish National Orchestra will be joined by a host of special guests to perform a ground-breaking programme of Scottish and Chinese music and song in The Official Chinese New Year Concert at the Usher Hall on 21 January.
- The Concert will be preceded by Lion and Dragon Dances outside the venue.
- On 22 and 23 January, Edinburgh Castle will host The Chinese New Year Light Show, organised by the Asian Association of Culture Commerce and Education in Europe and supported by City of Edinburgh Council, which can be viewed, for free, from the Castle Esplanade. Audiences will enjoy a range of Chinese performances projected onto the castle walls.
- On Sunday 22 January, a Chinese New Year cultural and artistic display will take place on The Mound outside the Scottish National Gallery. The Mound Chinese New Year Celebration, organised by Edinburgh Chinese Arts Association, presents Lion Dances, Chinese New Year folk dances, Han costume show, Chinese calligraphy and with lots of audience participation this is a free, fun way to get involved in the celebrations.
- Lion Dancers will perform at St James Quarter
- There will be a Bilingual Ceilidh at St Cecilia’s Hall with live music and a dance caller
- Lunar New Year Tarot Card Reading at Harvey Nichols with Kalem, Scotland’s leading palmist
- a Year of the Rabbit Chinese Art Experience in the Strathberry Boutique in Multrees Walk where customers can enjoy Chinese Calligraphy and paper-cutting artists
- Tai Chi, Qigong and Mahjong sessions will be held at the Eric Liddell Community at Holy Corner.
- Online events include two Chinese Music Workshops, one featuring the Chinese Zither and the second the Erhu and Pipa. Participants can enjoy the music and learn about the importance of these instruments in Chinese Culture.
- There are also online Chinese New Year taster sessions and Calligraphy workshops.
The final event in the 2023 programme is The Ballad of Mulan which will be performed at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh on 3 February. The performance tells the story of Hua Mulan who replaced her aging father to serve her country, disguising herself as a man, fighting bravely in the army and eventually being reunited with her family.
Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival brings together communities in Edinburgh to celebrate Chinese Culture and offers Chinese residents and students a range of activities to help them celebrate.
Prof. Ian Baxter, from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot Watt University, said: “Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival has become a key moment in the cultural calendar of the city. We are once again delighted to support the Festival, industry partners and cultural venues as we celebrate this important time of the year. What a wonderful opportunity for us all to experience and learn about Chinese culture, and to welcome Chinese visitors back to our city in the spirit of goodwill and friendship.”
Mme Hou Danna, Chinese Acting Consul General in Edinburgh, said: “The Edinburgh Chinese New Year Festival has been a great success and hugely popular since 2019, celebrating both unique Chinese culture and the city’s cultural diversity. I congratulate ETAG and partners on the fantastic programme of the Year of the Rabbit and thank their efforts to put it together. This year’s Festival would be seen as a prelude to fully resume two-way visits and exchanges between China and Scotland, as China had lifted cross-border travel restrictions relating to Covid-19 pandemic effective 8 January. I look forward to supporting our cultural and people-to-people links to go from strength to strength.”
Details of all events and activities across Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival can be found at www.chinesenewyear.scot.
Chinese New Year falls on Sunday 22 January and Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival runs from Friday 20 January to Friday 3 February 2023.
