Dublin City Hall was awash with traditional Chinese decoration and entertainment last night, as the Chinese New Year festival programme was launched.
A busy line-up of arts, film and music was unveiled as the capital's Chinese community prepares to celebrate the Year of the Rat, which marks the beginning of the 12-year-long Chinese astrological cycle. The festival will run from February 1st to 11th.
Highlights of the programme, which is being jointly organised by Dublin City Council and the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival Association, include a seven-day Chinese film festival in the Irish Film Institute (IFI).
Other notable events include a Chinese carnival in Smithfield, Chinese arts and crafts fairs in the Hugh Lane Gallery and a host of family based activities focusing on Chinese animals and ecology at Dublin Zoo.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Paddy Bourke described the celebration as "an expression of the positive contribution of our Chinese population to the life of Dublin City. It is great to see Dublin City Council organising such an important integrative festival in the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008", he said.
On Chinese New Year's Day, February 7th, traditional Chinese lion dances will take place on streets across the city to herald in the New Year.
Ambassador to Ireland Liu Biwei extended his thanks to the council for their hospitality and for organising the festival.
Mr Liu said the event will help to "bring the Chinese community in Ireland together".
Fashion designer John Rocha, who was born in Hong Kong but has lived in Ireland for some 30 years, said Chinese New Year remains an important occasion for him and that he was grateful for being asked to launch the celebrations.
A fireworks display, as well as the symbolic lighting of a torch to wish Irish athletes good luck in this summer's Beijing Olympics, will close the festival at the Smithfield carnival on February 11th. Further details and a list of festival events can be obtained by logging on to www.dublin.ie/cny
