Top eight Chinese New Year celebrations

As the Year of the Monkey nears its dawning, Melbourne prepares to welcome in the Chinese New Year in style. The city’s inaugural Chinese New Year Melbourne Festival (6 – 21 February) will comprise cultural activities, markets, tours, entertainment as well as lighting installations such as a large Phoenix at Docklands, the Monkey Arch Corridor at Queensbridge Square, a Windmill Corridor along Sandridge Bridge and Chinese Zodiac Lanterns at Southgate.

Unifying the city’s celebrations, the festival will link multiple Chinese New Year events across Melbourne from Chinatown to Federation Square, Southgate, Crown Melbourne, Docklands, Queen Victoria Market and The Hotel Windsor. Here are the ‘lucky eight’ best ways to celebrate in and around town:

Eureka Skydeck 88Eureka Skydeck 88 will embrace Melbourne’s rich Chinese culture (6 – 12 February) with Chinese New Year theming, giveaways and a lucky 88 display. Situated on the 88th floor of Eureka Tower, the Skydeck can be considered a lucky place to celebrate the New Year with the number eight considered a symbol of luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. The Eureka Skydeck 88 entry will be glowing red throughout Chinese New Year with a sea of beautiful red lanterns, Australia’s largest illuminated Dragon Head (almost five metres high, two metres wide and seven and a half metres long), will be situated in the plaza just out the front of Eureka Skydeck. 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank, +61 3 9693 8888

Crown MelbourneTo welcome the year of the Monkey, Crown Melbourne will host a vibrant and colourful festival (5 – 7 February) with elaborate decorations, foods stalls, fireworks and a host of exhibitions, cultural activities and live entertainment. From 11am to 11pm, the Crown Riverwalk will transform into a vibrant Hawker’s Bazaar filled with more than 60 stallholders offering Asian street food, arts and crafts, music and interactive performances and cooking demonstrations. Underneath a canopy of glittering lights and lanterns, the Riverwalk will come alive with cultural dance performances, a Video Star Karaoke challenge and traditional dragon and lion dancers. A month of celebrations will also be hosted at Crown’s Atrium (21 January – 21 February), including a five metre tall monkey sculpture, oriental flowers, light projections, lucky charms Ang Pow envelopes and gold coins to welcome a prosperous new year. 8 Whiteman St, Southbank, +61 3 9292 8888

Melbourne Lunar MarketsLaunching in Melbourne for the first time in 2016, the Lunar Markets (4 – 14 February) is an 11-day pop-up food and drink market celebrating the Chinese New Year. Harbour Esplanade Docklands will come alive to herald the new moon, with Asian food, music, bars and contemporary culture, offering everything you need for a night out with friends. Harbour Esplanade, Docklands

Queen Victoria MarketLions, dragons, lanterns and lucky monkey market tours are all part of Queen Victoria Market’s biggest ever Chinese New Year celebrations (2 – 20 February). Kicking off with a dramatic installation of 14 columns illuminated with traditional Chinese opera masks that will tower over the Market’s Queen Street parade. The four metre high columns have been designed and commissioned by Chinese Culture Works and handmade by Chinese artisans. The Market will also be transformed by beautiful red lanterns, lighting the way for a prosperous New Year. The festivities continue with events throughout the month including a traditional lion dance and dragon dance. Hawker Festival, Yuán Xiāo Jié (20 February) will offer a variety of traditional Asian food stalls, performances, lantern making workshops and family-friendly fun. Two-hour guided Lucky Monkey Market Tours (19 – 20 February) will also be available in English and Mandarin, providing tasting opportunities and stories from local Chinese traders. Corner of Victoria Street and Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, +61 3 9320 5822

Melbourne ZooThere are plenty of ways to get in the spirit of the Year of the Monkey at Melbourne Zoo where there are a variety of species’ to see. The Zoo will host a special Year of the Monkey Experience (7 – 21 February) – guided by passionate and knowledgeable keepers, visitors are invited to meet the Zoo’s Squirrel Monkeys. Professional photographers will be on hand to capture the moment. Other monkey moments can be had with the Ring-tailed Lemurs as they leap along their pathways, and through the African Rainforest trail past the Western Lowland Gorillas to the Treetops Monkeys. The Zoo also hosts a series of daily talks about monkeys and apes: Baboons at 11am, Mandrills at 11:45am, Orangu-utans at 12pm, and Gorillas at 12:30pm. Elliott Ave, Parkville, +61 3 9285 9300

The Hotel WindsorAs part of a citywide celebration developed by the Chinese New Year Committee under the auspices of the City of Melbourne, the Hotel Windsor’s traditional Afternoon Tea will embrace Chinese New Year by incorporating classic Asian ingredients. Pastries featuring kumquat, lychee and peach, and dim sum inspired savouries are set to be added to the delicious spread. 111 Spring St, Melbourne, +61 3 9633 6000

Out of town: 

Springvale Lunar New Year FestivalLocated in Springvale, 50 minutes south east of Melbourne city, this annual family-friendly event is traditionally celebrated by the Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Korean and Japanese communities and is open to the general public. This year, the event (7 February) coincides with Chinese New Year’s Eve and, with the support of the City of Greater Dandenong, the Buckingham Avenue shopping precinct will be transformed into a colourful, vibrant space from 10am until 10pm to celebrate the Year of the Monkey – the ninth sign in the Chinese zodiac that predicts a fast and energetic year for all. More than 70 market stalls will be on display, as well as entertainment including traditional lion dancing, firecrackers, games, rides, martial arts, live band, dancing and a wide range of Asian cuisine. Central Springvale, Buckingham and Balmoral Avenues, Springvale, +61 3 9898 3918.

Sovereign HillLast financial year, more than 90,000 Chinese tourists visited Sovereign Hill, So it makes sense that the iconic outdoor museum will celebrate Chinese New Year in good style. A host of fun, hands-on activities will be on offer every Sunday throughout February, including Chinese paper cutting, Chinese Camp tours, and Chinese stories. Lions, drums and a traditional ceremony will officially welcome the Year of the Monkey on the morning of 14th February. The festivities will culminate with a Lion Dance workshop, Chinese performances and traditional Chinese entertainment, and the Chinese Australian Cultural Society Ballarat will present cultural performances on the 21 February. Bradshaw Stret, Ballarat, +61 3 5337 1199