Chinese New Year Celebrations 2025

Our first celebration for The Year of the Snake started slightly early with a heart warming concert in the Music Room at the Philharmonic Hall. The event was organised by Pagoda Arts. The performers were their very own Youth Orchestra. The concert also featured Chamber Stars and a very special group from Shanghai called China Welfare Institute Children’s Palace Little Companion Art group.

As well as celebrating the new year it was also a recognition of the 25 years since Shanghai and Liverpool were twinned as cities and Shanghai gifted our city the wonderful arch that stands at the entrance to China town. It is the largest arch outside of mainland China.

The first performances were from the Pagoda Youth Orchestra and they played five pieces including a challenging “Flying Dragon and Leaping Tiger” music piece which they executed wonderfully.

After the interval we were mesmerised by the talent of the children from Shanghai who served up a feast for our senses. We watched the intricate dancing from three young ladies, a solo accordion player joined later by another. Apparently accordions are very popular in China. Two young girls treated us to a duet on the moon guitar and erhu and the finale was three musicians playing while a young boy did calligraphy and an even younger girl did the most amazing paper cutting then framed it all before our eyes. It was spectacular.

Chamber Stars are a group of young people from various countries playing instruments we see in our traditional orchestra and they were joined on stage for two numbers by some of the Chinese artists. Their final piece was Auld Lang Syne which we know from New Year and is a popular song in China too for their new year celebrations. The whole evening was rounded off with a presentation from the visiting Chinese group to the City of Liverpool representatives.

A truly spectacular evening that also helped raise £81 for our chosen charity – The Whitechapel Centre. A big thank you to all who attended.

Photos from the event can be viewed in the photo gallery.

Our second celebration was a Chinese meal at Man Tseun Ho in ChinaTown.  Thirty three of us enjoyed a wonderful Friday afternoon of glorious Chinese food.  The staff were wonderful and I would highly recommend this restaurant.  There are photos to view on the gallery page.