Chinese consul general to attend Chinese New Year celebrations in Inverness
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The Highland capital will welcome in the Chinese New Year in the company of China’s consul general to Scotland, Ma Qiang.
This will be the first time that China’s top diplomatic representative in Scotland has joined the north’s Chinese community and guests for their new year celebrations.
Monica Lee-Macpherson, the chairwoman of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and Moray Chinese Association (SHIMCA), which organises lion dance parades in Inverness, Nairn and Elgin sees the presence of the consul general – who only took up his post last month – as an acknowledgement of the strong Chinese community in the north.
“My passion is to show that we have a thriving community here and that people here are really interested in Chinese culture,” said Mrs Lee-Macpherson.
That interest in Chinese culture includes busy Mandarin classes for both adults and children, and the younger students will play an important part in the celebrations to welcome the Year of the Rat on Monday.
The Inverness lion dance parade, which has been an annual fixture since 2006, begins at the foot of the Market Brae Steps at 5.15pm, but before that the consul general will judge a painting competition for local schools.
The lion dance parade will be followed by a traditional 11-course Chinese banquet held in Jimmy Chung’s restaurant overlooking the River Ness, with entertainment from the lion dancers, local
children and folk singer Andy Chung.
“The Year of the Rat is a good year,” Mrs Lee-Macpherson said. “The rat is a born survivor, and we all need a bit of that!”
