Chinese New Year 2008
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Saturday 9 February
Over 35,000 visitors welcome in the Year of the Rat at the British Museum
A record number of visitors celebrated Chinese New Year at the British Museum with a series of events and activities specially organised to mark the occasion including spectacular dance and music displays in the Great Court.
Throughout the Museum people were able to listen to gallery talks in Mandarin, Cantonese and English and had the opportunity to learn about the art of storytelling or watch shadow puppet performances of Chinese folk tales.
Highlights of the day included a performance
of chamber music with accompanying visuals projected onto the
exterior of the famous round Reading Room, from the opera
Monkey: Journey to the West by Damon Albarn and Jamie
Hewlett, the musician and artist team behind the acclaimed animated
pop band Gorillaz.
Other events saw visitors follow a trail of
Chinese zodiac animal
lanterns, also designed by artist Jamie Hewlett and inspired
by
Museum objects from around the world.
With classic silent films and delicious Chinese New Year food on offer too, the day was a huge success for all.
Rat illustration © JC Hewlett