Celebrating Lunar New Year in the Royal Docks

On Sunday 29 January, the Royal Docks Team, in partnership with the Good Hotel, celebrated Lunar New Year with an event jam packed with family friendly activities to mark the start of the Year of the Rabbit. Approximately 200 local people attended the celebration trying their hand at everything from origami lotus workshops, calligraphy, food tasting, playing traditional instruments and more.

Highlights of the event, included:

• Beautiful lotus flower origami workshops, courtesy of artist Ha Nguyen
• Chinese Academy who provided traditional costumes and instruments for people to try
• FeastFest, a new festival launched last year in the Royal Docks by resident Joanna Dong, hosted a tasting of the symbolic foods served at New Year to bring good luck.
• The London Jing Kun Opera Association, led by Joanna Qiu, performed a demonstration of the costumes, instruments and songs of Beijing Opera; and
• Live music was provided courtesy of The Celadon Club, a trio who played instruments from across East and Southeast Asia, followed by DJ Nanzhen Yang, whose set of chilled House was a great way to cap off the relaxed Sunday evening

The London Borough of Newham is one of the most diverse places in the country with an extensive east and south-east Asian community based right here in the Royal Docks. Our cultural placemaking programme is firmly rooted in the People and Places of the Royal Docks, so we were delighted to support this event to celebrate and showcase the area’s fantastic diversity and culture.

Please visit here for more information on the Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Strategy and our ambitions to be London’s Creative Engine.

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