WELCOME TO MELBOURNE’S 2016 CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
Firecrackers, feasts and fiery dragons are among some of the many Asian cultural delights set to mark the beginning of the new lunar year at the inaugural Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival, running from 6 – 21 February 2016.
Unifying the city’s Year of the Monkey celebrations and presenting a cohesive cultural experience for locals and visitors alike, the Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival will offer 16 days of vibrant festivities bursting with cultural events, markets, tours, entertainment and more.
The Festival links multiple Chinese New Year events and activations across the city from Chinatown to Federation Square, Southgate, Crown Melbourne, Docklands, Queen Victoria Market and the Hotel Windsor.
Melbourne will come alive with spectacular lighting installations, cultural performances, food experiences and public activities designed to encourage people from different cultural backgrounds to come together to celebrate.
Message from the Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Welcome to the 2016 Chinese New Year Festival!
One of our city’s favourite events, the Chinese New Year Festival sees families and friends unite to celebrate Chinese culture and traditions here in Melbourne.
The festival will enthral and amuse both young and old with its memorable line-up of entertainment including lion dance performances, street karaoke, traditional artists and musicians.
This year, Chinatown will provide a spectacular backdrop as revellers from across the city come together to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Federation Square will bustle during a two-day festival and, for the first time, giant, colourful lanterns will illuminate
Melbourne’s skies. This dazzling light display will delight festival-goers while creating a link between the central city, Southbank and Docklands.
The Chinese New Year Festival is one of many celebrations of Melbourne’s diverse multicultural community. We are home to people from more than 200 countries, who speak 260 languages and dialects and practice 135 religious faiths. But we are one Melbourne.
In this most auspicious Year of the Monkey I wish you all a safe, productive and prosperous year ahead.
Happy Chinese New Year!
Robert Doyle
Lord Mayor
Message from Cr Beverley Pinder-Mortimer
Chinese New Year is always a time of great joy and excitement, and enormous goodwill.
In Melbourne, Chinese New Year celebrations are always very special and this year marks the first year of a ‘whole of Melbourne’ approach. From Chinatown to Federation Square; the Yarra river to Docklands; the 2016 Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival will see our wonderful city come alive during the month of February.
The Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival is an opportunity for all of Melbourne to celebrate this age-old culture and I am personally proud to have been a part of the unified festivities bringing the whole city together for a major celebration.
Celebrating the very best of Chinese culture in the Year of the Monkey, I encourage all Melburnians to take the time to explore and experience the new-look 2016 Chinese New Year festivities.
I wish to thank Dai Loong, the Federation of Chinese Associations, Eureka Skydeck and Destination Melbourne for their commitment and vision.
This year, as a group, we have garnered tremendous support from government and business based on a unified and cohesively branded Festival. It augurs well for the future bringing to life the whole of Melbourne during this important major multicultural festival period.
So, whether you live in Bendigo or Ballarat, Dandenong or Sunshine – may I extend an invitation to you to visit Melbourne and be a part of this delightful melding of heritage, culture and hospitality.
A Happy Melbourne Chinese New Year to all!
Chair, Marketing Melbourne
Message from Jane Nathan
Welcome all to the inaugural Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival.We are proud to launch the new unified Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival which brings together the Year of the Monkey celebrations from Chinatown to Federation Square, Southgate, Crown Melbourne, Docklands, Queen Victoria Market and the Hotel Windsor.
Stemming from the City of Melbourne’s vision for a united ‘whole of Melbourne’ approach to Chinese New Year, we formed CNY United as an entity to drive an all-inclusive Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival.
With the City of Melbourne’s leading support, CNY United includes representation from the Dai Loong Association, Chinatown Precinct, Federation of Chinese Associations, key Chinese community leaders, Destination Melbourne and Eureka Skydeck.
The Festival is part of a longer term plan to further develop and link Chinese New Year celebrations throughout Melbourne, reinforcing its position as being Asia-friendly and a leading Chinese visitor destination.
On behalf of CNY United I hope you take the opportunity to explore and enjoy some or all of the events and festivities of this year’s inaugural Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival.
May this Year of the Monkey bring you a playful, prosperous and slightly cheeky year ahead!
Chair, CNY United
CNY United Pty Ltd
Treasurer – Thomas Ling, Federation of Chinese Associations
Secretary – Mark Wang, Chinese Museum
Director – John Forman, Red Rock Leisure
Committee Members
David Wong, Australian Chinese Events Committee
Cr Beverley Pinder-Mortimer, City of Melbourne
Danny Doon, Chinatown Precinct Association
Ben Lau, Chinese Youth Society
Eng Lim, Dai Loong Association
Laura Cavallo, Destination Melbourne
Junxi Su, Federation of Chinese Associations
John Wong, See Yup Society