CHINESE NEW YEAR festivities in Ireland have been a particular hit with Irish parents and their adopted Chinese children, according to organisers Dublin City Council.
Declan Hayden of the council’s integration unit, which is among the main organisers, said parents with youngsters adopted from China may not know much about the culture, and have benefited from the experience.
He added that Irish-Chinese kids could be seen linking arms with other children sharing their ancestral heritage during the events, which officially began last week.
“There’s been a great response, from the Chinese, Irish and other communities,” he added. “Lots of different immigrant groups have also been involved and will bring back ideas to their own communities.”
The action continues today, with a seminar on Sino-Irish business presented by Dublin City Council in partnership with Smurfit Business School UCD, the Ireland China Association and New Tigers Consultancy.
This Sunday marks the closing ceremony of Chinese New Year – the Year of the Tiger – in Ireland. Taking place at the Kildare Village retail outlet from 1-4pm, it will see performances by artists from Shanghai University, University College Cork, the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chinese Chiu Chung Lung Ying Academy and the Shanghai University Troupe.
For those who’ve missed out on events, the Chester Beatty Library is presenting a major exhibition of Chinese paintings until 2 May.
On loan from the Shanghai Museum, one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese art, the exhibition includes 38 scrolls and albums by artists active in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and the early Republican period after 1912.
Each of these ‘story paintings’ retells or illustrates a tale from folk and religious lore, oral and official history, poetry or literature. Collectively, these artworks give a taste of China’s rich mythology and lyric tradition.
For further information on Chinese New Year events, visit www.dublin.ie/cny
