The Chinese New Year will be celebrated in Cork’s City Hall on Wednesday 28 January.
This signifies the first time that Cork City Council and University College Cork have joined forces to organise celebrations for China’s most important holiday. It also marks the first time that a national holiday from another country will be celebrated to such an extent in the city.
According to Prof Fan Hong of UCC, the event portrays the growing links between Ireland and China and in particular between the twinned cities of Cork and Shanghai.
On the night, Cork City Hall will witness music and dance performances from the Silk and Bamboo Trio, along with acrobatics and martial arts to ring in the Year of the Ox.
Irish students from UCC studying Chinese will give performances accompanied by Chinese students of the university.
Cork Lord Mayor Donal Counihan and Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Liu Biwei are expected to be in attendance, and schools across the city have also been invited to enjoy the festivities.
In recent years Cork has seen significant growth in the size of its Chinese community, both in the number of students studying in the city and of Chinese professionals working in various sectors.
New year celebrations will also take place in Dublin this year, though on a smaller scale than in 2008.
