AGAINST a backdrop of Australia Day patriotism, this year’s Perth Chinese New Year Fair celebrations have taken a more visible approach than in previous years.
About 30,000 community members gathered in Northbridge on Sunday for a cultural event including dancing, street performances and traditional costumes to mark the auspicious Year of the Dragon.
Chinese New Year is celebrated over 15 days from January 23 to February 6, and Chung Wah Association president Sammy Yap described it as a time for family reunion, well-wishing and a fresh start to a new year.
This inaugural street event is the largest held in Perth; in 2007 about 3000 people attended a Chinese New Year celebration, while in 2010 about 1000 turned out to a celebratory event held by the Australian Chinese Women’s Federation.
More than 30 Chinese organisations were invited to take part in this year’s event, which is also a commemoration of the Year of Chinese Culture in Australia.
This is an initiative of the Australian and Chinese governments to foster the relationship between these two countries.
As well as promoting multiculturalism, building on this relationship could also have wider economic benefits for Perth, with Chinese New Year having the potential to become an important festival because of direct flights from China to Perth, according to Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall.
Over the past year there had been 56 per cent increase in visitors from China and he predicted that by 2020 China tourism would grow to 100,000 visitors spending about $500 million a year.
However, the benefits of promoting and embracing multiculturalism are far greater than simply monetary gain.
Building an appreciation and respect for the other cultures through the celebration of important events on their cultural calendar is an integral part of creating an inclusive and diverse definition of what it truly means to be Australian.