Chinese New Year celebrations

Celebrations are well underway in Edinburgh to welcome in the Year of the Dragon. On Sunday the Edinburgh Chinese Arts Association supported by Heriot-Watt University, presented Lion Dances, Chinese New Year folk dances, Hanfu stories, the celebrated waist drums and the magnificent Long Fan Dance as well as children’s activities and ceilidh dancing. 

The Year of the Dragon officially begins on Saturday 10 February.  The Dragon is significant in Chinese culture as an auspicious and extraordinary creature, symbolising power, nobleness, honour, luck and success.  2024 is therefore forecasted to bring about opportunities, changes and challenges. Edinburgh’s Chinese New Year Festival, generously supported by Heriot-Watt University and Hainan Airlines and co-ordinated by Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) as part of its China Ready initiative, has become the largest celebration of its kind in Scotland since its inception in 2019.

Read more and see our photos from Sunday’s celebrations here.

© 2024 Martin McAdam

The City of Edinburgh Council

This is an important week in the council calendar as councillors begin a series of meetings to debate next year’s budget.

Edinburgh International Harp Festival 2024

The event takes place in April but tickets are available now.

At Sighthill Library

Next week Sound Africa Ensemble will hold an African and Drumming Workshop for all ages on two afternoons 13 and 14 February. Joining instructions – click on the image below to send an email or phone the library

Our February issue

Our February issue is out now. With more on our exclusive story about Chief Constable Jo Farrell revealed in our centre spread and our new columnist to entertain you with news of all the theatre you must see, we are pleased with this month’s issue. We hope you like it too.

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.