People gathered in Valletta on Saturday for the start of China’s most important traditional festival, the start of the Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year celebrations last one full week, beginning seven days before the actual date marking the new year. 

The date of Chinese New Year is not fixed as it is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar, but it always falls somewhere between January 21 and February 20. This year, it falls on Saturday, January 28.

Like Christmas, it is a time when family members reunite and friends get together to enjoy the blessings of unity, peace and happiness, to usher in a prosperous New Year.

The Chinese New Year is also called the Spring Festival, as the celebrations are spread over a whole week of official public holidays.

To date, 20 China Culture Centres have been established in Sydney, Paris, Malta, Mauritius, Benin, Cairo, Tokyo, Seoul, Berlin, Ulan Bator, Bangkok, Moscow, Madrid, Denmark, Mexico and Nigeria. Malta holds the title of being the first European country to have signed the memorandum of understanding for the CCC establishment project.

The prime purpose of this project is to nurture the friendship between the peoples of China and Malta and support bilateral ties through cultural dialogue, exchanges and events which promote sharing and appreciation of humanity and the arts, with a focus on raising awareness of Chinese culture and arts.

Happy Chinese New Year in Valletta is an annual event co-organised by China Cultural Centre in Malta and the Valletta Local Council. The opening ceremony held on Saturday included festive parades in the city centre and performances for the public.

The Shaolin Kongfu Monks of Dengfeng Zhongyue Shaolin Boxing Culture Troupe and the Luohe Acrobatic Troupe thrilled the crowd.

Photos: Matthew Mirabelli