Thank you to everyone who celebrated Chinese New Year 2015 with us at Sunnybank Plaza and Sunny Park! The celebration is the largest event in our calendar, so we hope you were able to come along and enjoy Sunnybank’s authentic Chinese New Year! Please keep an eye out for details on next year’s celebrations. For now, you will find all the information on our most recent new year activities and entertainment below.
The Goat or Sheep is the eighth sign in the Chinese Zodiac symbolising creativity, intelligence, dependability and calmness. Comfortable being alone to ponder the workings of their inner minds, Goats enjoy being part of a group, but prefer the sidelines rather than being the centre of attention. Their nurturing personality makes Goats excellent care-givers. They spend a lot of their time absorbed in their thoughts, which makes them appear quiet and reserved. Goats feel most comfortable at home on their couch where they can relax and explore their mind. They enjoy expressing themselves artistically, whether it’s by painting, cooking or participating in whatever artistic endeavours they enjoy.
Perhaps because Goats are inherently calm, they tend to have fewer health problems. Their fragile exterior hides the fact they’re typically very healthy. When they’re happy, they’re healthy. When Goats become unhappy, especially as a result of romance, they quickly become sick. It can take some time and effort to get to know a Goat as they tend to be very private. The Goat will be the one to decide when and whom it will share its personal life. As a result most Goats have only a few close friends.
Goats prefer to be part of a flock, working in teams. Power and status are not important to a Goat. They will only assume a leadership role if asked directly. Good career choices for people born under the sign of the Goat include: florist, interior designer, daycare teacher, actor, editor, hair stylist, illustrator, musician, artist or art history teacher.
Goats are most compatible with Rabbits and Pigs, and less compatible with the Rat and Ox.
Your Chinese Zodiac is the Goat (Sheep) if you were born in 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 and 2015.
Each Chinese New Year, Sunnybank Plaza and Sunny Park have a wide range of fun, exciting, and authentic activities for you to experience, and the below were what the crowds were treated to.
To look back on Sunnybank Plaza’s activities from Chinese New Year 2015, and for your very own souvenir poster please click here.
Details on Sunny Park’s activities, and a souvenir door banner can be downloaded here.
Tai Chi is the gentle art of health and well-being for people of all ages and health conditions. Demonstrations by the International Wushu Tai Chi Academy were held in the Sunnybank Plaza Foodcourt during our Chinese New Year celebrations.
The traditional Dragon Dance combines the unique colour, sound and spirituality of Chinese culture in a spectacular physical performance. Demonstrating strength, agility, concentration and rhythm, highly skilled dancers bring a colourful fabric and bamboo dragon to life. The world renowned Dragon Dance team from Lam Tu Luan Kung Fu School performed their multi-award winning dance during the Chinese New Year celebrations at Sunnybank Plaza.
The secrets of Feng Shui were discovered during personal consultations with Feng Shui Master Tom Lo. Participants benefited from Master Tom Lo’s 40+ years experience and had all their questions answered about this popular philosophy for good health and prosperity.
Chinese calligraphy has been around for over 2000 years and is one of the highest forms of Chinese art. Calligraphy Master Eric Lin has been practising this art form for over 30 years, winning many prestigious awards for his skills. Guests took home special Chinese New Year messages scribed by Master Lin as a treasured memento of this year’s Sunnybank Plaza celebrations.
The Sound of AusOriental Orchestra is a group of local musicians who have come together for the joy of music. This non-profit group specialises in oriental music and aims to use music as a means to bring people of all nations together to promote tolerance and harmony in a culturally diverse society. The group provided beautiful music for this year’s Sunnybank Plaza Chinese New Year Celebrations.
Professional carvers from Ice Art transformed a 1 metre high, 140kg block of ice into a detailed Chinese New Year sculpture in front of a live audience. Using a combination of chainsaws and chisels, the sculpture took close to two hours to complete and lasted almost 4 hours once completed.
Our talented craftsmen demonstrated the ancient art of fruit and vegetable carving, transforming watermelons, honeydew melons and a variety of other fresh fruit and vegetables into colourful works of art.
The Sunnybank Plaza Foodcourt was filled with colour and energy during this entertaining Chinese dance performance, showcasing a selection of China’s unique and diverse dance styles. Performances included a traditional fan and umbrella dance, Chinese ribbon dance, Shanghai dance and a lively Chinese pop dance.
Chinese chop carving has a 3700 year history in China, primarily used by Chinese artists to identify their work in place of a signature. Chinese Chops are also used by individuals, government and the corporate sector to authorise documents, similar to a wax seal. We were pleased to welcome artist and professional carver, Hi Fong Kuk to Sunnybank Plaza this year. Hi Fong has made over 10,000 chops for people all over the world, using Chinese, English, Japanese and picture carving. Hi Fong’s Chinese painting, oil, watercolour, and etching artworks have sold in over 20 countries. Hi Fong demonstrated her unique skills during our Year of the Goat celebrations.
Kids joined in to paint and decorate their own mask for the Year of the Goat! Workshops ran for approximately 45 minutes each.
In China, making “hand-pulled” noodles is an art. The freshly made dough is folded and twisted repeatedly until eventually it is transformed into long, thin, noodles. In China it is still possible to watch vendors make hand-pulled noodles, however most noodles are now made by machine. Our Master Chef Sam demonstrated this ancient culinary skill live at Sunnybank Plaza. Some lucky audience members were also given the chance to try the technique under Sam’s guidance.
Painting is one of the most time-honoured Chinese traditions. With distinctive brushwork, traditional paintings reflect the strength and serenity of nature. The team from the Taiwan Women’s League provided an opportunity to watch this amazing art form in action during this year’s festivities, as they turned plain paper lanterns, masks and fans into beautiful works of art!
Using a variety of instruments including xylophones, drums, tambourines and glockenspiels, the Ju Percussion group presented a number of songs in celebration of Chinese New Year live in the Sunnybank Plaza Foodcourt.
Visitors had the opportunity to be photographed in traditional Chinese and Taiwanese costume at our mini photographic studio. A variety of outfits were available to try on free of charge, with souvenir 5”x7” photographs available for purchase.
Dough modelling is a 700-year-old handicraft which incorporates the essence of many different genres of the Chinese arts. The remarkable figures range from the religious to whimsical animals and are often used as ornaments. This intricate and colourful art form was demonstrated live at Sunnybank Plaza during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
