ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT Published Friday January 27, 2017 CHINESE NEW YEAR See inside for a detailed list of Chinese New Year events and a map of what’s happening throughout the CBD Love, health and wealth: what does the Year of the Rooster have in store for you? Strong cultural ties with mutual benefi t: why WA and China’s relationship is so important CHINESE NEW YEAR Western Australian Useful Chinese community phrases PAGE 2 • There are more than 16,000 Chinese- Hello born people (excludes special [Nee-How] administrative regions and Taiwan) Welcome to Perth living in Western Australia, an increase [Hwan Yin Lie Dow Perth] of 8707 people (or 108.8 per cent) since 2006. Have you had your breakfast/lunch/dinner? • There are more than 75,000 Western [Nee Chee Lear Ma?] Australians with Chinese ancestry. Wishing you good fortune • Mandarin and Cantonese are the (traditional happy new year second and third most common greeting) languages, after English, spoken at [Gong Xi Fa Cai] home in WA (Italian is the fi rst). Happy Spring Festival • In addition to China, people from the [Choon Tsyer How] WA Chinese community come from a range of countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, What animal Indonesia and Taiwan. is next? Source: 2011 Census. February 16 2018 Year of the Dog February 5 2019 Did you know? Year of the Pig January 25 2020 • Shou Sui is the practice of staying up Year of the Rat until midnight as a family to greet the New Year. • The day of Chinese New Year is a public holiday not just in China but in many other countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. • Chinese New Year is also called the Message from the Minister for Citizenship and Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. Multicultural Interests Dr Mike Nahan MLA It is a great pleasure to wish the Western place in Perth and beyond over the Australian Chinese community and all Chinese New Year period, please visit readers of The West Australian a very www.cny.wa.gov.au. happy New Year of the Rooster. For more than 150 years, the Lunar New Year celebrations are an Chinese community has contributed exciting part of Western Australia’s signifi cantly to every sphere of amazingly diverse cultural heritage Western Australian life and has been and are one of the most anticipated instrumental in advancing our vibrant highlights of our festival year. multicultural state. Celebrations for the Year of the Rooster We are all Western Australians with 2017 will be some of the largest and a rich and diverse heritage that is best ever seen in Perth. The Liberal shared, enjoyed and experienced by National State Government has everyone. dedicated $1 million towards Lunar New On behalf of the Liberal National State Year programs and events including Government of Western Australia, Chinese New Year on the Quay, the I wish you all a happy, safe and Chinese New Year Fashion Program, the prosperous Year of the Rooster. Australia-China Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation, the Chung Gong Xi Fa Cai! Wah Association Perth Chinese New Year Fair and many more. The year 2017 is the 30th anniversary of Western Australia’s sister state relationship with Zhejiang Province, a bond that has brought growing and sustainable benefi ts to the people of both regions. Perth’s Chinese New Year initiatives will build on our strong economic and cultural links with China and create more Editor: Louise Allan Writer: Kaitlin Shawcross opportunities to grow socioeconomic Subeditor: Rhys Graeme-Drury outcomes for WA. Design: Deirdre Hewett Advertising: Terence Tay 9482 9706 Dr Mike Nahan MLA. For details on the many events taking Ring in the Year of the Rooster Dancing dragons, astrological roosters and firecrackers converge to make Chinese New Year 2017 in Perth the most spectacular ever. This year, the State Government is supporting a $1 million expanded Chinese New Year program with a focus on tourism, education and cultural exchange across Perth and regional WA. It’s a Chinese New Year you’ll remember forever! Blazing a trail from Northbridge, Discover WA’s Chinese communities through the City and into Elizabeth Immerse yourself in a Chinese- Around 16,000 China born people live Quay, Chinese New Year 2017 has inspired fashion extravaganza with in WA and more than 80,000 identify as something for everyone with an China Musing: A Fashion Journey—a having Chinese heritage. People from exciting program of activities on offer free exhibition at Brookfield Place WA’s Chinese communities come from from 27 January to 19 February. showcasing interpretation of Chinese across the world including China, Hong design by local designers. Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Explore Taiwan and Vietnam. Start your journey at the Roe Street Make your way to Elizabeth Quay and come face-to-face with a gigantic Chinese gates and down James Street Sister State advantage where the famous Chung Wah Perth rooster. While you’re there, discover Chinese New Year has special Chinese New Year Street Fair will the diversity of Chinese culture through significance in 2017 as WA and a week of free activities for the whole dazzle with cultural performances, Zhejiang Province celebrate 30 years family—tai chi, folk art, cooking, traditional music and special Chinese of a close Sister State relationship. calligraphy, Kung Fu and dragon New Year delicacies. Among the stalls, This bond, formalised in 1987, dancing as well as a mesmerising wall the historic Chung Wah Hall will light opens the door to partnerships of interactive Chinese lanterns. up to welcome the Year of the Rooster. and understanding and deeper friendship encouraging exchange Then uncover your Chinese zodiac at Learn and collaboration that are bringing the WA Museum’s Discovery Centre in Learn about the fascinating history sustainable benefits to the people of the State Library, where fun interactive of WA’s Chinese community with a stunning photographic exhibition Western Australia and Zhejiang. activities take kids through the meaning showcasing migrants from the early of the zodiac animals. Nationally, 2017 marks the 45th 1900s and their descendants. anniversary of diplomatic relations Enjoy a Chinese movie with the See the amazing Wenqin Performance between Australia and China. This is nationally touring Golden Koala Film Troupe visiting from Zhejiang University, an important milestone for the rapidly Festival at WA’s State Theatre during showcasing orchestra, martial arts, expanding relationship between the February followed by dinner at one drama and traditional dancing in two countries. of Perth’s many authentic Chinese Bunbury and other locations. restaurants. Did you know? Looking for something else? A creative • China has been Western Australia’s Drop in at the Hawkers Markets in industries sector forum and the first www.cny.wa.gov.au biggest export market since 2006. Forrest Place to enjoy Chinese cuisine Australia–China Science, Technology while you watch the iconic GPO and Innovation Conference will ensure • In 2015/16 around 47,000 Chinese building come to life in a dazzling that the close relationship between tourists visited Western Australia, display of lights and music illustrating WA and China remains strong into the spending around $244 million. future. the story of the Chinese zodiac. • In 2015, more than 3700 Chinese students began studies in WA – Visit www.cny.wa.gov.au that’s 12% of WA’s international to learn more and find out what’s happening student total. CHINESE NEW YEAR PAGE 4 Spring Festival revelry will bring families together in celebration The most important holiday for Chinese Decorations month before the festival until the end of people, Chinese New Year is also Streets, buildings and homes are the New Year period. New Year tradition known as the Spring Festival and falls decorated with red, which is believed to • No cleaning or hair washing on the fi rst on the fi rst day of the Chinese lunisolar be the colour of prosperity. three days as it is believed to wash Cleaning before the start of the calendar. away good luck. New Year is an upheld tradition Lanterns are hung and decorations with Because a lunar month is around two in Chinese culture. The fl oors, roosters on them will be common this • A cry of a child is thought to bring bad days shorter than a solar month, an extra walls and every corner of the year as it is the Year of the Rooster. luck. month is inserted every few years in household need to be spotless. Cultural activities order for the calendar to catch up with • No begging or asking for a loan. In the Chinese language, ‘dust’ is the solar calendar, meaning the date of Rural areas and towns have still retained a homophone for the word ‘old’. There are also a few things that can more traditional celebrations than the Therefore, cleaning is meant Chinese New Year shifts each year. increase your good luck such as wearing cities, such as setting off fi recrackers, to drive away bad luck and old It is an important family celebration and red underwear and praying in a temple. ancestor worship and dragon dances. things in preparation for a new brings with it a week of offi cial public 2017 CALENDAR beginning. holiday – although celebrations tend to Many Chinese cities host traditional last for around 15 days. performances of dragon dances, lion January 12 – 26: Millions head home dances and imperial performances like and businesses hold company events The festival celebrates a year of hard an emperor’s wedding. as they wind down their operations. Lots work and is a chance to wish for a lucky of cleaning and shopping take place to Temple fairs off er a variety of traditional and prosperous coming year.