Chinese New Year in Sydney

Model Sheep art Broadway Shopping Centre

The Chinese New Year was on Thursday, February 19. Many people around the world celebrated the new year in various ways, with parades, exhibitions, displays, decorations.

Sydney staged a Chinese New Year Festival from 13 February to 1 March. Many buildings joined in the celebrations with Chinese decorations.

The Queen Victoria Building in Sydney featured a display of red Chinese Lanterns.

The Broadway Shopping Centre displayed a model sheep that was made up of over 3,000 Mahjong tiles. It took a team of people more than 20 hours to create. 

Mahjong is a game originating in China and since has become popular in other countries as well. The playing tiles were traditionally made of bamboo, ivory or bone. 

QVB Chinese Lanterns

The Chinese Zodiac is made of 12 animals, with 2015 being the Year of the Goat. Sometimes this is also known as the Year of the Sheep. 

The confusion comes about because of the Chinese word yang. Actually, In Chinese the word yáng can refer to a sheep, goat, ram/buck,  or antelope).