Chatswood has once again carried out its annual Lunar New Year festival to usher the Year of The Pig in 2019.
Hosted by the Willoughby City Council in cooperation with the Chinese Cultural Centre, the celebration was a three-week affair that started on the 29th of January and culminated on the 19th of February.
Hundreds of Chinese lanterns and decorative flowers adorned the Chatswood Mall’s Golden Market section to mark the celebration. Stalls offered various Asian foods and an assortment of low-priced clothes and toys, while pig mascots entertained young and old shoppers.
Activities were also organized to welcome 2019 with the Year of the Pig to ward off evil and good fortune to Chatswood residents, as per the press release.
Australians from all cultures and races participated and enjoyed calligraphy classes, movie screenings of Asian language and English movies, magic shows, and live entertainment featuring lion and dragon dancers, Chinese opera performers, Wushu dancers, and Chinese musicians.
The organizers also held a Taste of Asia Food Tours, a familiar Chatswood enterprise, where diners got to sample Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai dishes and more. Some of the dishes were provided by Asian joints around the Chatswood area such as Do Dee Paidang, Mr Stonepot, and the newly opened fusion restaurant General Chao.
The festival ended with the Lunar New Year Twilight Parade held at the Chatswood Interchange through Anderson Street. Apart from the dragon dance, the parade featured Asian floats and other Chinese attractions.