Chinese New Year to be marked with a party in Box Hill

  • 2014-01-09
Box Hill will be awash with colour and sound next month as the community comes together to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The City of Whitehorse event is one of the biggest Lunar New Year parties in Melbourne and more than 70,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival.

Organised by the city's Asian Business Association, the festival marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year, which in 2014 is the Year of the Horse.

As usual, the celebrations will be heralded by the Parade of the Chinese God of Fortune, Choi Sun, which will weave its way through the streets of central Box Hill.

After the parade, there will be plenty of entertainment on offer, including martial arts demonstrations, Chinese music, and a fireworks show. Market traders will be selling mementoes and a range of traditional Asian food will be available to tempt the taste buds.

Lion and dragon dancers will entertain the crowds, and people wishing to ask for a safe and happy new year might want to visit the giant Buddha for some quiet contemplation.

With so many people expected to attend, Box Hill South residents might like to think about using public transport or even walking or cycling to the event rather than taking a car. Once there, visitors should look out for poster printing being used to advertise some the events, or showcase the food on offer during the party.

This year’s festival runs from 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 1 until 1:00 am the following morning.