Festivals / Chinese New Year
City museum hosts Lunar New Year celebrations with vibrant offerings
Bristol has ushered in the Lunar New Year for 2025 with a kaleidoscope of cultural offerings, drawing in local communities, with the attendance of city’s prominent figures.
The Lunar New Year celebrations have returned to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery for the 25th year celebrating China’s rich tapestry of cultural heritage ranging from tea, lion dance, martial arts and traditional Chinese music.
This year, thousands gathered at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery for the annual free event, with festivities spanning both Saturday and Sunday to welcome the year of the snake.
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Among the prominent figures attending the event were Andrew Varney, lord mayor of Bristol City Council, alongside Tony Dyer, leader of the City Council; Richard Pendlebury, high sheriff of the County and City of Bristol; Peaches Golding, lord-lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol; Dr Rosa Hui, founder of the Chinese Community Wellbeing Society (CCWS); and several other community leaders.
Lord-lieutenant Peaches Golding awakened the lion by marking its eyes and lips in ink
Among the acts on day one of the weekend-long celebrations included a Kung Fu demonstration from Bristol Shaolin Wushu Academy, a children’s performance by Avon Chinese School and traditional dance from the University of Bristol Lion Dance Troupe, South Gloucestershire Chinese Association and Clevedon School, alongside traditional music performance by Ronni Ho and Iona Wang.
The proceedings began with a Chinese tea ceremony, performed by the Keemun Black Tea team from Anhui Province, China, where small ceramic cups of black tea were served to the dignitaries.
Addressing the audience, Andrew Varney, lord mayor of Bristol, lauded the contributions of the Bristol Chinese community and commended the city museum for being a repository of some of the finest Chinese artifacts outside China.
Martial arts demonstration from Bristol Shoalin Wushu Academy
The highlight of the proceedings, the much-anticipated lion dance, was performed, as usual, by the University of Bristol Lion Dance Troupe, marking their 30th anniversary this year.
Lord-lieutenant Peaches Golding awakened the lion by marking its eyes and lips in ink, leading the way for an energetic routine, performed by multiple lions to the backing of traditional drums and cymbals.
Speaking to Bristol24/7, lord-lieutenant Golding said: “We’ve had the most amazing celebrations here at Bristol City Museum for the Chinese Lunar New Year. And I even got to wake up the lion. I was able to mark its eyes, nose, mouth, and ears so it could hear everything around it, and trace down its spine to bring it to life.
“It was absolutely phenomenal. We’ve also witnessed incredible martial arts displays, with everyone from young children to more mature participants showing us not just the dance forms, but real combat techniques too.That was just absolutely amazing day.”
Dennis Hu and Kate Newnham conducted the proceedings for the day. Kate Newnham, senior curator of visual arts at the Bristol Museum, praised the museum’s extensive collection of Chinese and Oriental artifacts and welcomed the new lunar year.
She said, “We have a world-class Chinese art collection, particularly Chinese ceramics, but also Chinese glass. It’s one of the best collections of Chinese glass in the world, and specialists travel from all over the globe to study it. We’re very fortunate to have it, as it was given to the museum in 1946 by Max Schiller.”
“I always enjoy this Chinese New Year event. It’s an incredibly vibrant and joyful occasion, and members of the audience, no matter their age, really enjoy it,” she added.
The lion dance routines performed by University of Bristol Lion Dance Troupe went down a treat with the audience
While the main proceedings took place in the front of the museum, activity stalls ran concurrently, offering a range of experiences, from making headbands and tea sampling to food stalls and displays of specimens of Chinese snakes, celebrating the year of the snake.
Speaking to Bristol24/7, Tony Dyer, leader of the Bristol City Council, emphasised the cultural exchange fostered through the event. He said, “It’s such an exciting time of the year – Chinese New Year, and this year, the Year of the Snake. It’s wonderful to have the lion dance, which we just saw, along with all the other Chinese and East Asian activities taking place over the weekend.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for our Chinese community to come together and showcase their cultural contributions to the West of England, and for Bristolians from other cultures to join in and enjoy it as well.”
The cultural offerings also included traditional Chinese instrumental music
The museum’s café and shop featured Chinese goods, from soft toys to decorative vases, offering a memento for attendees to take home.
Also speaking to Bristol24/7 was Richard Pendlebury, high sheriff of Bristol, who is also a member of the clergy, praised the contributions of the Chinese community over the years. He said: “I’ve been in Bristol many years, and the Chinese community here is very strong and very active. It’s a real joy for me to be here today.”
“As a reverend in the Church of England, I work with a large group of Hong Kong Chinese people in our congregation. They’ve been fantastic, and as a result, we now read our lessons in both English and Cantonese. What’s wonderful is how well they’ve integrated into our community and how committed they are to serving others. I’m a big fan.”
The proceedings began with a Chinese tea ceremony, performed by the Keemun Black Tea team from Anhui Province in China
UWE Bristol’s Global Support Team had enjoyed a busy day of lively interactions with young attendees during the event. Nic Hall, global student support manager at UWE Bristol, said: “Today, they’re making snake headbands, which they can totally personalize. They start with a headband, then add different colored faces and tails, along with some embellishments that can be attached or removed.
“They’re having a fantastic time creating them. We’ve got an amazing team helping with the process, and the progress has been great so far—honestly, who knows how many we’ve made? It feels like hundreds! It’s been a wonderful experience. We also have a raffle, so people have the chance to win something too.”
All photos: Rob Browne
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