Thousands of Calgarians celebrate Chinese New Year downtown

Chinese New Year celebrations take over downtown Calgary. Tyler Barrow reports.

Thousands of Calgarians helped celebrate New Year this weekend at the Chinese Cultural Centre.

For Ansel Wong, a board member of the Chinese Cultural Centre, the new year -- especially 2025, since it’s the Year of the Snake -- is a time to make a fresh start.

“(It’s) a time of transformation,“ Wong said. ”We’re shedding the old and welcoming (in) the new."

The cultural centre was also full of vendors, food and cultural performances inside and out, including colourful lion and dragon dances.

But if you come to a Chinese New Year celebration (the actual day is Jan. 29 this year) just expecting Chinese culture, think again, said Wong.

“If you were here yesterday, we had belly dances, some Malaysian and Thai dancers -- so it’s a (cultural) hodge podge.”

Vendor Jeannie Kha was selling keychains that symbolize all 12 signs of Lunar New Year.

“It’s fun to participate because right after holidays it’s the big festival for Vietnamese people, Chinese people – it’s the time for people to come together," said Kha.

Dylan Lam teaches Wu Shu (aka Kung Fu) and brought a bunch of his students out to perform.

“We have a lot of students, especially kids under 14,” Lam said. “For a lot of them it’s their first performance so it’s a great experience for them. Gives them a chance to show off what they’re learning and a chance to see how us seniors do everything.

“Personally for me, it’s great because I get to see all the kids I’ve been training and see where they’re going with their learnings right now.”

Board director Wong said his celebration schedule was typical of the way many people celebrate Chinese New Year’s.

“For me personally, I will be meeting up with my extended family,” Wong said. “My grandparents will be having a big family dinner and welcoming in Near Year’s that way.

“That’s kind of the tradition,” he said. “Every Chinese family celebrates New Year’s that way.”

Chinese New Year celebrations at the cultural centre continue until 6 p.m. Sunday, then return next weekend. Admission is free.

With files from CTV’s Tyler Barrow