28 NOVEMBER 2019
Chinese New Year Festival set to colour Wellington in February 2020
One of Wellington’s favourite cultural events returns 1-2 February 2020 with another explosive programme. Asian Events
Trust is proud to present the Chinese New Year Festival 2020, the Year of the Rat.
From its humble beginnings in 2002, the annual Chinese New Year celebrations have become an important part of
Wellington's events calendar. The festival provides a rich platform for local community groups to showcase their talents
and inspire the wider community to experience and engage with a vibrant and diverse culture.
The festival will kick off on Saturday 1 February with the crowd-favourite East Meets West show, a cross-culture, cross-genre showcase at the TSB Arena. In 2019 the show was met with a packed out TSB Arena and
standing ovations, the 2020 programme is set to continue the momentum. The theme of the upcoming East Meets West show is Colours of our Culture, inspired by visual artist Guy Ngan, a second-generation Chinese-New Zealander whose work is characterised by bold
colours.
Linda Lim, Chinese New Year Festival Programme Director says, “The East Meets West show forms an integral part of the festival programme and we are thrilled to acknowledge Guy Ngan’s significant
contribution to Aotearoa’s cultural landscape.”
The show will feature performances through song, dance and film to highlight the significance of colours to the Chinese
culture.
Liz Ngan, daughter of Guy and guardian of his estate and artistic legacy says, “I am excited to see this collaboration
between visual and performing arts and the opportunity for the Chinese and wider community to enjoy Guy’s work in this
context.”
Following the East Meets West show, a spectacular fireworks display on Wellington’s waterfront will farewell the Year of the Pig and welcome in the
Rat. Sunday 2 February is Festival Day and a chance to experience the finest Chinese cuisine, crafts and more cultural
entertainment at TSB Arena. The Festival Street Parade will also be making a highly anticipated return on Sunday,
filling Wellington’s CBD with more fabulous colour, music and joy.
“The Chinese community are a small but important part of Wellington, making a vital contribution to the city’s social
and economic wellbeing and prosperity. The festival is a celebration of the efforts of the many diverse groups and
organisations who come together to deliver an authentic celebration of the most important event in the Chinese
calendar,” says Lim.
In Chinese culture the rat represents optimism, intelligence and energy; all of which audiences will experience in the
2020 festival programme, including performances by the Longjiang Arts Troupe who will travel from Chongqing province
China to headline the festival. Packed with vibrant cultural entertainment and activity, bursting with colour and the
inviting smells of Asian cuisine, the Chinese New Year Festival holds something for everyone.
"We are so proud of Chinese New Year celebrations in Wellington; our dynamic, colourful and inclusive programme fills a
vital gap in the city, for the wider community to celebrate the cultural diversity of Wellington and for the Chinese
community to feel at home. We are looking forward to seeing the whole of Wellington join us to welcome in the Year of
the Rat,” says Lim.
ENDS