Rooster lantern for the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival by amigo and amigo. Image courtesy of City of Sydney
Sydney Chinese New Year Festival Rat Lantern by Guo Jian with Black Swan performers. Image courtesy City of Sydney
Welcome the Year of the Rooster and check out Lunar Lanterns this Chinese New Year. Twelve giant glowing lanterns representing the animals of the Chinese zodiac are on display at Circular Quay for 17 days as part of the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival.
Start your lantern trek at the Sydney Opera House and say cock-a- doodle- doo to two enormous roosters created by Amigo & Amigo. Continue your journey and see the Sheep by Brad & Alex; then Fan Dongwang’s mighty Dragon. You’ll see Amigo & Amigo’s spectacular snake slithering its way under Circular Quay station.
Fancy a little glamour? Visit the showgirl rats dancing on a giant rainbow at Customs House. These elegant critters are by Guo Jian. Then you’ll see the cheeky 3 Wise Monkeys by Laurens Tan; a big red Dog by Brad & Alex; Tianli Zu’s magnificent Ox made from 749 glowing Mahjong tiles; Hu Ming’s happy Tiger; a multi coloured Horse chariot by Justin Qian; and Brad & Alex’s mother Pig with her piglets.
Finish your expedition at Dawes Point to see Claudia’s whimsical Rabbits practicing their Tai Chi, with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as a backdrop.
And to celebrate all things Rooster, check out Tianli Zu’s Pentatonic Roosters in Chinatown. These fabulous creatures are made from Chinese musical instruments. Be sure to strike the gong which makes up one of the Rooster’s bodies. Claudia Chan Shaw had the pleasure of acting as curator for this internationally acclaimed festival for 2016 and 2017.
Sydney Chinese New Year Festival 27 January – 12 February 2017