What’s happening in Liverpool for Chinese New Year 2022 - Year of the Tiger: events, dates, road closures

Liverpool boasts both the oldest Chinese community in Europe and the largest Chinese Arch outside of China.

And after last year’s muted celebrations due to COVID, the city is pulling out all the stops for the luna new year.

Festivities for the Year of the Ox were forced online but the easing of coronavirus restrictions means the party to mark the start of the Year of the Tiger will roar back into action.

Chinese New Year marks the beginning of new lunar year, it’s essentially China’s equivalent of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day wrapped up into one big festival lasting for more than two weeks.

So what events should you attend, what dates will you be putting in your calendar, and what road closures do you need to be aware of in Liverpool?

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year 2022 is set to take place on Tuesday 1 February, but events in Liverpool will begin before that date.

While we celebrated the solar new year almost a month ago, the lunar year has not yet finished.

In fact, it’s been running since 12 February 2021 and only comes to a close on Monday 31 January 2022.

While solar calendars are in popular and legal usage across much of the world, many people in China and South East Asia follow the more traditional lunar calendar.

Whereas solar calendars are based on the earth’s passage around the sun, lunar ones base their timings off the different phases of the moon.

It means months tend to be either 29 or 30 days in length, and years are between 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar calendar.

While this might seem like a very foreign concept, most cultures around the world have used lunar calendars at some point in their history.

Even the Gregorian calendar, which is now in common usage after its introduction in Europe almost 450 years ago, has its origins in the lunar cycle.

Chinese New Year events in Liverpool

🐉✒️ On Saturday, 29 January the Victoria Gallery & Museum will be putting on dance and calligraphy workshops, perfect for the family.

The sessions will begin with a lively dance session exploring Chinese dance traditions, followed by an introduction to the ancient arts of Chinese calligraphy and paper cutting.

They will run every hour from 1pm to 2pm.

🏮Thousands of Chinese lanterns will adorn the city centre streets and key Liverpool buildings (Cunard building, Liverpool Town Hall, Toxteth library and more) will be lit up in red from Sunday, 30 January.

🥡 FACT Liverpool will be celebrating with a weekend of events from Friday, 4 February, including an alternative heritage walk through Chinatown and a ‘World Wide Wonton Workshop.’ All are free.

🐯 From Friday, 4 February, to Sunday, 6 February at St Luke’s Bombed-Out church there will be a 3D animated tiger prowling around the tower via projection.

The tower, inside the church, will also be transformed into a Chinese pagoda.

These ‘Spectacular Projections’ will occur from 6pm until 9pm each night. Entry is free, though donations are asked for.

🥁 On the Sunday, 6 February, Pagoda Arts will be showcasing Tian, a band formed of young east/southeast Asian artists performing a blend of original east-meets-west tracks at Great George Square from 2.20pm to 3.30pm.

The band will also be performing at a ticketed event at the Philharmonic that evening.

📽️ A Chinese Phoenix (Feng Huang) street animation will also make an appearance at 1.45pm on the walls of the Bombed-out church.

🧨 Those who want to welcome in the new year with a bang can catch a firecracker display at Great George Square at 1pm.

🎭 Around Chinatown a series of dance performances will be popping up throughout the afternoon, performed by Movema, as well as on-stage action at 3.10pm and 4.25pm.

🐲 At 5.15pm, a specially created Chinese New Year performance incorporating traditional martial arts will be showcased by the Bring the Fire project, joined by Hung Gar Kung Fu’s illuminated dragon and lion. Again at Great George square.

🤹 Throughout the day The Black-e Youth Circus will offer circus skills taster workshops on Nelson Street for members of the public to participate in and a beanbag making workshop.

Key Dates

Monday, 31 January - Chinese New Year’s Eve.

Tuesday, 1 February – The beginning of Chinese New Year

Sunday, 6 February – Weekend of events throughout the city, Chinatown and Great George Square.

Tuesday, 15 February – End of celebrations, traditional marked by the Lantern Festival.

How to say happy new year in Chinese

There are two major languages in China - Mandarin (largely spoken on the mainland) and Cantonese (mostly spoken in and around Hong Kong).

Both languages use three different phrases for wishing someone a happy new year.

These are:

- ‘Xīnnián hǎo’ which directly translates as ‘New Year goodness’

Mandarin: 新年好 or “sshin-nyen haoww”

Cantonese: 新年好 or “sen-nin haow”

- ‘Gōngxǐ fācái’ which means ‘happiness and prosperity’ in English

Mandarin: 恭喜发财 or “gong-sshee faa-tseye”

Cantonese: 恭喜發財 or “gong-hey faa-chwhy”

- ‘Bùbù gāoshēng’ which translates into English as ‘on the up and up’

Mandarin: 步步高升 or “boo-boo gaoww-shnng”

Cantonese: 步步高陞 or “boh-boh goh-sshi”

Road closures in Liverpool

There is potential for disruption on the weekend of 5 February and 6 February around Chinatown, particularly Great George Square. Plus, Nelson Street, Upper Pitt Street, Great George Street and Upper Duke Street.

There is potential for disruption around St Luke’s Church, particularly on Lime Street and the A5039.

Emergency roadworks on Knight Street end on 2 February.

Roadworks will continue on Lime Street until 31 May.