Chinese New Year celebrated in Valletta

A vibrant touch of the Orient swept through the streets of Valletta yesterday, with music and dance performances by the Shaanxi Folk Art Theatre troupe from northern China being held in St George's Square, Republic Street, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens to celebrate the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Pig.

Percussion performances and the bright, shiny costumes of a culture that is worlds apart attracted onlookers and mesmerised schoolchildren. According to tradition, red is, after all, a compulsory colour, representing good luck.

The performances formed part of the Chinese Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, which was celebrated in the capital city where the traditions of northern China met Mediterranean civilisation and culture.

Following the gun salute at the Upper Barrakka at noon, the performers gave a 15-minute drumming show at the garden, also playing a variety of odd-looking typical Chinese instruments.

Bringing the spectacle to Valletta was the brainchild of China Cultural Centre director Zheng Hao.

The arrival of the Chinese Spring Festival means ice and snow would melt and that spring was round the corner. It is a celebration of the New Year and is considered to be the most important festival for China - as much as Christmas is for the West.

The Chinese Spring Festival dates back 4,000 years when the people used to offer sacrifices to the gods and honour their ancestors, hoping for a bountiful harvest.

With the passage of time, the simple dances and performing arts became ever more elaborate.

To continue with the celebrations, members of the Chinese National Chamber Orchestra from Beijing are giving a Chinese New Year concert of traditional music at the Manoel Theatre, in Valletta, on Sunday, at 7.30 p.m. (Tickets can be purchased from the Manoel Theatre booking office, by calling 2124 6389 or by sending an e-mail to bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt).

Meanwhile, an exhibition, The Art of Fans and Umbrellas from Hangzhou, is on show at St James Cavalier in Valletta until March 30.

In China, fans also possess artistic charm and unique national characteristics since ancient times, with the earliest appearing more than 3,000 years ago.

The umbrella also has a long history in China, dating back 4,000 years. The Hangzhou handicraft umbrella combines practical use and art and is considered to be an exotic flower in the garden of Chinese national arts and crafts. When closed, it looks like a piece of bamboo.

These activities in the run-up to the Chinese New Year have been organised by the China Cultural Centre and the Valletta local council, under the patronage of the Tourism and Culture Ministry and the Chinese Embassy.

Year of the Pig

Being a Malaysian-born Chinese of Cantonese dialect, the Chinese New Year brings back lots of fond memories to Choy Hong (Jasmine) Grech, from Mosta, whose family used to celebrate it.

According to Chinese beliefs, there are 12 different animals in a cycle, and each year is ruled by a different animal, she explains.

In each of the 12-year cycles, the animals are ascribed an element (wood, fire, earth, metal, or water), with Yin, or Yang characteristics that determine their characters.

The Year of the Pig, the 12th, or last in the 12-year cycle, begins on Sunday and ends on February 6, 2008. Its element is fire.

The 12-year cycle is represented by the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig. Each animal year is said to carry an element that influences one's luck in terms of personal, political, economical and general matters.

The Chinese believe babies born in the Year of the Pig are fortunate and make good partners in life, explained Ms Grech. Pigs are thought to be honest, thoughtful, ready to sacrifice, peaceful, intelligent, faithful, patient, compassionate and understanding, as well as having a fun and enlightening personality.

On the other hand, due to their trusting nature and helpfulness, they have a tendency to be taken advantage of.

During the Chinese New Year, which is also known as the Spring Festival, traditions include the preparation of welcoming the Lunar New Year.

Ms Grech recalls that her parents used to prepare several kinds of foods that are believed to bring prosperity: Chicken and fish, for example, symbolise happiness and prosperity; dishes made with oranges and pineapples represent wealth and good fortune; noodles are a sign of longevity; ducks symbolise fidelity; eggs signify fertility; sweets represent delight in all matters that come your way; and the Chinese New Year's cake nian gao represents a smooth and progressive New Year.