FOR the second year running crowds gathered in the Kingfisher Shopping Centre to celebrate Chinese New Year.

The colourful festivities were held on Saturday, February 28 where the Choy Lee Fut Lion Dance troupe performed a traditional lion dance.

The dance is believed to bring good luck for the new year and featured the dancers making the lion move to the rhythm of drums, cymbals and a gong.

During the event cultural activities were put on by the Yum Tum Club and Redditch Chinese Association as well as a martial arts demonstration.

Leader of Redditch Council Bill Hartnett said: “It was a spectacular show.

“It was colourful and featured lots of music. There was a ceremony and blessing, as well as a drumming display which was excellent and got everyone looking.

“It was a great event.”

Fay Yeng, from the Redditch Chinese Association, said: "It’s wonderful to be able to share this awesome and exciting part of Chinese culture with the people of Redditch.”

Ken Williams, general manager at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, said, “Providing the lion dance for our shoppers is a really exciting way to share this Chinese tradition and mark the start of Chinese New Year.”

The event marks the beginning of a new year and a new animal to honour. This year's animal is unclear as the Mandarin Chinese character yang means "horned animal" so some people celebrate the sheep and others the ram or goat.