Thousands flocked to the streets of China Town on Saturday night to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a giant Lunar Lanes street party.
The streets, laneways and squares of Chinatown, Haymarket and Darling Harbour were transformed for multi-cultural performances, markets and carnival rides for Lunar Lanes on Saturday 25 January.
The event marked the start of the Lunar New Year and 16 days of Sydney Lunar Festival celebrations from the City of Sydney.
2020 is the Year of the Rat, the first sign of the 12-year lunar zodiac cycle. Considered a year of new beginnings, it also marks the start of a new decade.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the auspicious Year of the Metal Rat was a wonderful opportunity for all communities to come together and celebrate.
“As the biggest celebration of the Lunar New Year outside Asia, we have drawn on Sydney’s diverse cultures – including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian – to create this exciting festival,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Over the years we’ve seen the festival grow from a small community event in Chinatown to one of the largest lunar celebrations in the world. It was wonderful to celebrate with Lunar Lanes where it all began 24 years ago.”
Selection of images available for use: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e7gj2b2ob09byyx/AAA6N3p33Pitor1JcW0n-oY-a?dl=0
The City of Sydney provides access to images for
