Lunar New Year celebrations are getting underway at hotels across Asia Pacific with many pulling out all the stops to mark the occasion.
In Beijing, celebrations are as bright and colourful as you would expect at luxury hotel The Peninsula Beijing, where its cultural celebrations have become a focal point in the community, according to General Manager, Cameron Cundle.
Speaking exclusively to HM on a recent trip to Sydney, Australian national Cundle described it as a “spectacular” occasion.
“It is spectacular – the colours, the festivities, the noise,” he said.
“Line dancing is always huge at the hotel. [To mark] The Year of the Dragon, we have dragon dancing as well.
Celebrations begin with dancing around the main gate outside the hotel with electric firecrackers released into the air – real ones are not permitted, as Cundle points out – and colourful lions zigzagging through the crowd.
“There’s this swarm of people celebrating with our guests and the local community – it’s really something special,” he said.
“And of course, as a foreigner, I have to make sure I remember my steps correctly, because it means so much to people.”
Cundle says the occassion is all about reunion with family.
“Something in Asia and China that’s so highly regarded is time with family. We’ll have big tables 15 or 16 people family members gathered around to eat the festive dishes,” he said.
Celebrations in Sydney
Meanwhile, in Australia, luxury hotel Capella Sydney has a program of events taking place to mark Lunar New Year, from a vibrant eye-dotting ceremony to a serene tea master’s ceremony.
“As we usher in the Year of the Dragon, we invite our guests to celebrate this enchanting time at Capella Sydney,” said Capella Sydney General Manager, Marc von Arnim.
“From curated afternoon tea experiences to intimate private dining, our Lunar New Year celebrations are designed to bring loved ones together, marking the promise of happiness, health, luck, and prosperity for the coming year.”
Capella Sydney’s celebrations commence with a traditional Eye Dotting ceremony and Lion Dance outside the hotel on the morning of Friday February 9, that is open to the public and in-house guests. The ancient ritual is carried out to “awaken” the lions before they can perform and welcome in the New Year.
In-house guests will have the opportunity to learn from esteemed Tea and Calligraphy Master, Raymond Leung, who will host an exclusive Chinese Tea Ceremony and craft personalised traditional blessings through calligraphy.
An exclusive Lunar New Year Afternoon Tea experience at Capella Sydney’s Aperture restaurant draws inspiration from traditional dishes, offering oriental-accented sweet and savoury offerings, complemented by specialty teas and world-class wines.
A dedicated multi-course private dining experience, embracing the Chinese concepts of prosperity, luck, wealth, longevity, and happiness, is also on offer.