Chinese Dragon Dances to the Top of Sydney Harbour Bridge

• VIP guests welcome Year of the Horse and celebrate partnerships with BridgeClimb

On Tuesday 21st January 2014, more than 40 VIP guests joined BridgeClimb to witness a gold and white Chinese Dragon scale the eastern arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The world-first was part of a traditional dance procession welcoming in the Chinese New Year of the Horse.

The 13 man procession celebrated the guests' partnership with BridgeClimb and the one year anniversary of The Mandarin Climb, which is led by Mandarin speaking guides.

BridgeClimb CEO, Todd Coates, personally welcomed VIPs from top corporations including, China Southern Airlines and Tourism Australia.

The eye-catching Chinese dragon, 15 metres in length, was manned by 9 performers who gracefully twirled and swayed the mythological creature during its ascent.

In customary fashion the dragon chased a pearl, traditionally associated with wealth, good luck or prosperity, to the summit of the bridge 134 metres above the glittering harbour. It followed a drummer and two cymbal players.

During the event, Coates, reflected on some major successes over the last 12 months:

"We are very honoured to share a truly special moment on the Sydney Harbour Bridge with many of our valued partners and we hope we can celebrate your support for our business and share this lifetime memory with you.

"Since the inception of The Mandarin Climb in January 2013, BridgeClimb has gone from strength to strength in its partnerships with the Chinese market. We have welcomed record breaking climb groups, hosted celebrities in front of a social media audience of millions and most recently incorporated payment facilities specifically for the Chinese market via Bridgeclimb.cn

"Today, as the symbolic Chinese Dragon danced to the summit of the Bridge, we witnessed the intertwining of one of China's most celebrated cultural traditions with one of Australia's most recognised icons. It was another demonstration of BridgeClimb's ongoing commitment to foster partnerships in the Chinese market."

Australia is a key holiday destination for Chinese visitors, with over 600,000 arrivals last year. The Mandarin Climb, which departs daily, has contributed to the 30 per cent growth in Chinese climbers seen in the last year.

BridgeClimb offers a truly memorable experience, perfect for special occasions, family adventures, team building and corporate events. For more information, please visit www.bridgeclimb.com or call (02) 82747777.

Video content of the Dragon Dance: http://www.youtube.com/bridgeclimbsydney

8 Milestones in The Mandarin Climb's first year:

• 21.01.13 Lion dance at the summit marks the launch of the The Mandarin Climb.
• 15.05.13 Mahjong Champions battle it out at the top of the Bridge.
• 15.07.13 Picture Perfect China's 2.1k climbers smash BridgeClimb record.
• 13.08.13 5 Chinese couples enjoy a unique Chinese Valentine's Day dawn climb blessing.
• 13.08.13 Launch of BridgeClimb.cn - which has since received more than 70,000 visitors.
• 11.10.13 Nicky Wu, Mandarin/Cantonese singer and actor, climbs.
• 30.10.13 Unique experience customised for senior executives of Tsinghua University MBA program.
• 22.01.14 Union Pay cards are accepted for climb bookings on BridgeClimb.cn

BridgeClimb:

BridgeClimb, the dream of Chairman & Founder Paul Cave, is considered a 'must-do' tourist attraction in Sydney, with more than 3 million people, from more than 137 countries, having climbed the Bridge since it opened in 1998. Climbers can climb to the summit of this world famous icon on The Bridge Climb, The Discovery Climb, The Express Climb and BridgeClimb's newest climb; The Mandarin Climb. Launched in response to the growing Chinese market in Australia, The Mandarin Climb features local Mandarin speaking guides. BridgeClimb has won numerous awards including the 2012 'Best Guided Tour in Australia' Australian Traveller Reader's Choice Award.

Chinese website: www.bridgeclimb.cn
Twitter: @bridgeclimb_syd
Instagram: @bridgeclimb
Weibo: @sydneybridgeclimb & @攀登悉尼大桥
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