“Say goodbye to the Monkey and welcome the arrival of the Rooster,” said Judy Pease, vice chairman of the Leeds Chinese Community Association (LCCA), to the attendees of this annual celebration yesterday.
The festivities began with a traditional Chinese dance performed by students at the Leeds Chinese Community School, which was formed in 1998.
Music continued with a piano duet from Leeds University graduates, and a violin recital from Alexander Stark, just six years old.
In between the acts, people sampled authentic Chinese food and drink, and families could take part in fun activities such as Ping Pong and calligraphy.
Traders also sold Chinese clothing and toys for children, all themed around the Rooster.
The second part of the day began with a Lion dance, another of the Chinese zodiac animals.
The dance features an ornate costume and the fast paced movements match the drum beats.
Councillor Gerry Harper, Lord Mayor of Leeds attended the event to give a speech and show his support.
Following his speech Councillor Harper said: “These events are absolutely brilliant. We have these every year and we have a long record of working with the Chinese community in Leeds, as we do with all the other communities.”
“Its about cohesion and getting everybody together, if you look around in the audience they’re not all Chinese its people from all walks of life and they all love coming here and having a great time.”
“Its something that we all enjoy and we wish them all a happy new year.”
More information and photographs can be found on the LCCA website : www.lcca-uk.org/index.php
they came from Leeds 