Birmingham will be snapping open fortune cookies to welcome the Chinese New Year.
Firecrackers, music and traditional Dragon Dance all kick off the official Year of the Rat
celebrations in Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter. There is a spectacular afternoon of free
entertainment including acrobatic performances by the Bai-Ling Chinese Acrobatics Co
Ltd (UK) where children from the Overseas Chinese Association School and Birmingham
Chinese School perform traditional dances. Adding their own unique musical accompaniment
is the Birmingham Chinese Society Karaoke Group who will be in full voice on Sunday
10th February.
If this whets your appetite, tuck into a traditional Chinese New Year dinner at Henry’s – a
Cantonese restaurant nestled in Birmingham’s unique Jewellery Quarter. The sumptuous
three course banquet is topped off with live entertainment, traditional Chinese music and
even a lion dance! This celebratory meal is available at Henry’s on Thursday 7th February at
£35 per person.
Chinese New Year is the first in a series of activities to celebrate Chinese culture in
Birmingham. Aspects of China at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery from 8th February is
a new permanent display of the recently acquired Franklin Collection of Chinese Art. The
display and its interpretation will be developed in collaboration with members of
Birmingham’s Chinese community. This will include outstanding examples of Chinese ceramics from the Song (960-1279), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
The Town Hall will host the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra on 17th March. This concert of
traditional and contemporary Chinese music pieces will be performed by the Hong Kong
Chinese Orchestra led by artistic director and principal conductor Yan Huichang.
The impressive 85-piece ensemble comprises of traditional and improved Chinese instruments (some with origins of over 1000 years old), which played together with Western style instruments, creates a unique and mesmerising sound.
These events form part of ‘China Now’, a nationwide showcase of the very best of modern
China in 2008 starting in February and continuing through to the end of July and the opening
of the Beijing Olympics. The festival programme features a wide range of cultural projects
and performances encompassing art, design, cuisine, culture, science, business, technology, education and sport.
Two further exhibitions at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery later in the year include
Camera in Canton: Photographs by Felice Beato, 10th May - 10th August of vintage
photographs, taken from the Central Library archive, of the Chinese city of Canton - now
known as Guangzhou - and its surroundings, taken by Felice Beato during the Anglo-French
military expedition to China during the Second Opium War. Bejing Map Games, 18th
October 2008 to 4th January 2009 will be the most comprehensive exhibition of
contemporary art from China ever shown in the UK. The project that reflects the rapid
changes dramatically influencing the appearance and dynamics of Beijing city. All the works
will be specially commissioned for the exhibition.
Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter is a colourful and vibrant community that exists in the heart of
the city. It includes many Chinese restaurants, supermarkets and some fine examples of
Chinese architecture.
For further press information, images and to arrange a media visit please contact:
Emma Ward, Marketing Birmingham
T : 0121 202 5075 E: emma.ward@marketingbirmingham.com
The Rat is the first sign of the Chinese zodiac and those born under it are leaders,
pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and
hardworking. Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and
controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. Famous
‘rats’ include - Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, Samuel L Jackson ,Winston
Churchill, President George Washington and William Shakespeare.
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