Kingsway Garden Mall was transformed into a Chinese heritage center on Saturday as the community prepared for Lunar New Year celebrations.
The event was organized by the Chinese Alumni Association of Alberta (CGAA) and included a parade, performances, art, music and games.
People can visit the mall between 11am and 5pm to participate in the festivities.
“It's all about Lunar New Year, teamwork and unity,” said CGAA's Rena Liu. “Not just within the Chinese community, but in all aspects of Edmonton as a whole.
“Everyone comes together and celebrates.”
Visitors are invited to learn about Chinese culture and art at Kingsway Garden Mall on February 3. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)Corey Lee, also from CGAA, said most of the performers are students from the Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association.
“It's great for the kids to practice this all year long and be able to show off,” Lee said.
The event also included interactive stations where guests were invited to participate in cultural activities such as calligraphy, chopstick challenges and Chinese board games.
“So it's not just about seeing what happens on stage, you can actually experience it and learn it yourself,” Liu said.
This year, the Lunar New Year will be celebrated from February 10 to 15. Next year will be the year of the dragon.
