Ringing in the Year of the Rat!

The team at Cambridge China Centre are excited to be starting 2020 by celebrating Chinese New Year. Together with Cambridge Chinese Community Centre, we are co-organising Cambridge Chinese Culture Festival 2020, a festival uniting local communities, businesses and organisations together with the 6,000 Chinese people working, studying and living in Cambridge.

The Lunar New Year

The Chinese New Year happens on the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar when the seasons move from Yin (dark/winter) to Yang (light/spring). It has roots in cultural and religious traditions dating back thousands of years that balance layers of folk traditions and philosophy. For 2020 the Chinese New Year’s Day falls on Saturday 25^th Jan 2020.

(Trivia fact: This year, Chinese New Year falls on the same evening as Burns Night for the first time in 76 years)

The January Culture Festival

Surrounding the big day, Cambridge Chinese Culture Festival 2020 lasts throughout January and will be active with cultural events throughout Cambridge, including:

• Family Events and traditional Chinese arts with the Fitzwilliam Museum
• Chinese Culture Workshops
• Gala Performances
• Cambridge China Centre’s Annual Chinese New Year Networking Dinner

‘Golden Week’ Chinese New Year Promotions

The Cambridge China Centre, Alipay, Cambridge BID, together with the 1,200 BID businesses in Cambridge city centre, will celebrate Chinese New Year 2019 by giving back to consumers with ‘Chinese New Year’ exclusive promotions and ‘Alipay Red Packets’. Use the hashtag #CambsRedPacket to find out how you can take part.

Click to learn more

Retailers: Decorate your shopfront window

Attract Chinese customers and show your seasonal spirit with a choice of Chinese New Year designs (width from 50cm to 77 cm). Stickers are provided FREE to Cambridge China Centre members. For non-members, there will be a £15 fee per set. Please see as in the ‘Sticker Catalogue’ and contact enquiry@cambridgechinacentre.org to secure your attractive Chinese New Year window stickers.

Tuesday, 14 January, 2020

Alipay Workshop: Getting Ready for Chinese New Year

To welcome the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations throughout January and Early February, Cambridge China Center is providing a special workshop to enable retail, tourism and hospitality businesses to increase their income from Chinese customers. The 90 minute workshop will cover:

• The evolving Chinese consumption trends;
• How to effectively market products to Chinese tourists;
• City-wide ‘Alipay Red Packet’ and ‘Chinese New Year’ promotions.

Visit the Event Page to reserve your place.

Tuesday, 28 January, 2020

‘Chinese New Year’ Networking Dinner

Celebrating the Chinese New Year, Cambridge China Centre will host a festive dinner and drinks reception at the Tamburlaine Hotel. This is a highlight of the Cambridge China Centre’s business networking calendar and the not-to-miss opportunity for UK|China industry experts, corporate executives and investors to make connections and gain insight into Chinese culture.

Date & Time:

Tuesday 28 January 2020. Reception begins at 6pm. Dinner served at 7pm

Location:

Tamburlaine Hotel, 27-29 Station Rd, Cambridge, CB1 2FB

Click to learn more.

Thursday, 30 January 2020

Spring Festival Gala Performance

Hosted at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, the Cambridge Chinese Community Centre’s Galas are always a highlight of the season. This year’s performers are traveling especially from China to share their talents with the UK. The performances will come from the leading national performing groups such as the Central National Song and Dance Troupe, the Chinese Academy of Traditional Opera, the Chinese Acrobatic Troupe, and the National Opera House.

Highlight performers include Yin Xiumei (soprano), and Wang Kai (Sound Into the Heart).

It is a great occasion to experience traditional New Year celebrations and Chinese culture with families and friends.

Date & Time: 30 January from 18:30 – 21:00

Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, 2 Wheeler St, Cambridge CB2 3QB

Tickets to the Gala are available through Eventbrite.

Saturday, 1 February 2020

Fitzwilliam Museum ‘Chinese New Year’ Family Day

The Fitzwilliam Museum and the Cambridge China Centre have joined forces to bring you a special Family Day event for Chinese New Year. Last year’s Chinese New Year collaboration with the Fitzwilliam Family First Saturday series was the most popular event of their year. We are going to make this year’s event bigger and better.

Family activities will include:

• Storytelling
  Staff from the Cambridge China Centre will be sharing exciting stories of the Chinese New Year including The Jade Emperor’s Great Race, where the order of animals in the Chinese zodiac was decided. We expect this event to be full so please reserve your entry (£3) in advance through the Fitzwilliam Museum’s ticket partner. Event times are 12:30, 13:30 & 14:30. Ticket price is £3.
• Art activity: Calligraphy
  Learn how to create characters with Chinese brushes and ink. Class sizes will be kept small so please reserve a place in advance to avoid disappointment. Reserve your ticket (£3) through the Fitzwilliam Museum’s ticket partner. Event times are 12:00, 13:00, 14:00.
• Additional activities: Chinese lanterns & paper cutting
  Be part of a 2000-year old tradition and make a beautiful Chinese lantern. Traditionally placed in windows or hung in public, they are thought to bring good fortune (and scare away Nian the Monster). Free.
• Art activity: Paper cutting
  A folk art that uses one of China’s greatest gifts to the world…paper! Paper-cutting has existed since the sixth century and is known for its intricate designs and creative use of negative space. Free.
• Treasure Hunt Trail: Chinese New Year Zodiac
  Search for special Chinese Zodiac animals in the Museum’s collection. Free

Plus, exhibitions of Tai Chi and a visit from a Chinese Lion organised by the Cambridge Chinese Community Centre!

Click to learn more

With so much going on across the city – we look forward to celebrating the Year of the Pig with you.  Do use the event hashtag on Twitter to see updates as they happen #CCCFestival.

To celebrate Chinese New Year, the Cambridge China Centre and the Cambridge China Community Centre will host a festive dinner and drinks reception. This is an excellent opportunity for UK|China industry experts, corporate executives and investors to make connections and gain insight into Chinese culture.  Please join us and add your voice to the success of the New Year.

The event will be held in the beautiful Tamburlaine Hotel Cambridge nested between the Cambridge Railway Station and the city’s emerging section for technology companies.
Expect a drinks reception, a four-course Chinese New Year gala dinner, and fine wines sourced from China.

Agenda

6:00pm- 7:00pm: Drink reception

7:00pm- 9:30pm: Four-course Chinese New Year Gala Dinner

Discount for Members

Members of Cambridge China Centre take advantage of their discount by logging in before purchasing their tickets.

Spring Festival Gala Performance

Featuring over 40 performers traveling especially from China to share their talents with the UK. The performances will come from the leading national performing groups such as the Central National Song and Dance Troupe, the Chinese Academy of Traditional Opera, the Chinese Acrobatic Troupe, and the National Opera House.

Highlight performers include Yin Xiumei (soprano), and Wang Kai (Sound Into the Heart).

Hosted at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, the Cambridge Chinese Community Centre’s Galas are always a highlight of the season. It promises to be an exciting opportunity to experience traditional New Year celebrations and Chinese culture.

Date & Time: 30 January from 18:30 – 21:00

Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, 2 Wheeler St, Cambridge CB2 3QB

Tickets to the Gala Performance are available through Eventbrite. Prices range from £10 – £25 (+VAT).
Alternatively, Cambridge China Centre has a limited number of premier seats reserved, please contact us to enquire about purchasing premier tickets through us at enquiry@cambridgechinacentre.org.

Drop-in on the first Saturday of February and join us for activities and art-making on the theme of Chinese New Year. Organised in collaboration with Fitzwilliam Museum. Activities include:

Storytelling
Staff from the Cambridge China Centre will be sharing exciting stories of the Jade Emperor’s Great Race, where the order of animals in the Chinese zodiac was decided, and how to scare away “Nian the Monster” if he comes by your house on the eve of the lunar new year.  Expect a lively narrator, musical accompaniment and a little audience participation.

We expect this to be full so please reserve your entry (£3) in advance through the Fitzwilliam Museum’s ticket partner. Event times are 12:30, 13:30 & 14:30. Ticket price is £3.

Art activity: Calligraphy
Learn how to create characters with Chinese brushes and ink. Class sizes will be kept small so please reserve a place in advance to avoid disappointment. Reserve your ticket (£3) through the Fitzwilliam Museum’s ticket partner. Event times are 12:00, 13:00, 14:00.

Art activity: Chinese lanterns
Be part of a 2000-year old tradition and make a beautiful Chinese lantern. Traditionally placed in windows or hung in public, they are thought to bring good fortune (and scare away Nian the Monster). Free.

Art activity: Paper cutting
A folk art that uses one of China’s greatest gifts to the world…paper! Paper-cutting has existed since the sixth century and is known for its intricate designs and creative use of negative space. Today’s project will allow visitors to take part in an annual decorating tradition. Free.

Treasure Hunt Trail: Chinese New Year Zodiac
Search for special Chinese Zodiac animals in the Museum’s collection. Free