Roundup: Aussie PM wishes Chinese Australians all the best for Lunar New Year

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, February 6, 2019
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by Duncan Murray

SYDNEY, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- As Australia enjoys the largest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of Asia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed his wishes to Chinese Australians for the year ahead.

After taking in lion dancing and other cultural celebrations in the city of Melbourne, the prime minister chose to thank all the hardworking people of Australia with ties to China for their ongoing contribution to the country.

"You have worked hard for what you have achieved here in Australia," Morrison said.

"This is the Year of the Pig, which means it's the year of prosperity and wealth, and this is something that I know the Chinese community understands here well in Australia."

"Thank you on behalf of all Australians for making Australia stronger, for making our economy stronger, and for making Australia a more prosperous and wealthy nation."

Australia has 1.2 million people of Chinese heritage as well as more than half a million who were born in China and moved to Australia.

Australia and China have a shared history and over the years, Chinese culture has become an integral part of the Australian story.

"There was the famed Imperial Dragon Loong who was brought to Melbourne from Bendigo in 1901 to take part in the procession and to celebrate Federation," Morrison said.

"So when our very nation, our very nation was formed, there in the middle of the procession was Loong the Chinese dragon that was a part of those celebrations."

This year in Melbourne and right across the country Lunar New Year festivities include plenty of street food, artistic lantern displays and cultural dance celebrations, as well as many more special events throughout the month of February.

In Melbourne's world-class fine dining restaurants Asian cuisine will feature heavily with chefs inspired to create special Spring Festival dishes to mark the occasion.

In Sydney, the city's vibrant Chinatown hosts weekly performances and family events with young and old taking part, while the iconic harbour glows red with lights adorning the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Sydney is also hosting a large scale lantern display of the zodiac symbols, as interpreted by 12 Asian-Australian artists, lining the harbour foreshore and giving everybody a reason to get out and take in the spirit of the Spring Festival.

"Chinese New Year is now a great Australian celebration, not just a celebration within the Chinese community," Morrison said.

"Xièxiè (Chinese word which means thank you), and say hello to me on WeChat at ScottMorrison2019," said the prime minister. Enditem

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