On Sunday 17 February,聽an estimated聽1,400 people turned up on Guildhall Square and the John Hansard Gallery (JHG) to celebrate Lunar New Year聽and take part in a major lantern festival and parade.
created a wonderful short video showcasing the highlights of the event, which you can view below.
This was聽a multi-cultural offering organised by Dr Alan Wong, and from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, in conjunction with the Public Engagement with Research unit (PERu), the , (follow their here), the Confucius Institute, 补苍诲听迟丑别 .
The festival gave families the opportunity to create Chinese paper and balloon lanterns using LED lights, which were taken on a one-mile guided walking parade across the City Centre. The parade began with a Taichi Fan performance, and was led by a nine-person, lighted ‘dragon’, with a dancing ‘lion’ at the rear to ward off evil and wish good luck on everyone who took part.
There was also a ‘Science Tent’ on the square, which allowed families to learn about light-themed research from our and , as well as our three PERu-lead local Public Engagement Hubs.
The parade itself was launched by Winnie Eley, Vice President (International),聽 who welcomed people to the event and shared her experience and our credentials of being part of, and supporting the local community.
Winnie said:
“This first-ever Southampton Lantern Festival Parade is made possible through the partnerships, support and hard work of many organisations and volunteers. Our 245,000 alumni and current students from over 180 countries will be proud to know that their University and the region are committed to being truly global, and is welcoming, embracing diversity and open to the world.”
In addition to聽promoting wider culture and inclusivity in the City, this initiative聽is part of a three-year between the University and the City Council to create a more vibrant and child-friendly Southampton, where walking and cycling is encouraged.
More images of the event are available on the .
The success of the event was widely reported across local news, including and , , as well as the .
