The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome were back again at the Bullring & Grand Central. Once again in the West Mall performance area, just outside of the former entrances of Debenhams. I forgot that they last performed there in late January 2020. So this was their first performance in a little over two years!

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Chinese New Year 2020 and 2022 in Birmingham


Chinese New Year 2020 and 2022 in Birmingham


The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome were back again at the Bullring & Grand Central. Once again in the West Mall performance area, just outside of the former entrances of Debenhams. I forgot that they last performed there in late January 2020. So this was their first performance in a little over two years!


Happy Chinese New Year.  There was no dancing Chinese lions / dragons in 2021, but they are back in the first week of February 2022!

The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee, took the dancing lion / dragon all over Birmingham and Solihull. I was not able to be where they were, as much as I would have liked to see it. So below will have to do.

I've not been able to get the dancing lion / dragon, since I got the yellow one at Cathedral Square in 2018.

 

January 2020

It was Chinese New Year, and that year it was the Year of the Rat. A little over two months later the first lockdown began, and this seemed like a distant memory.

 

Photos below taken on 23rd January 2020.

The Bullring Bull in it's Chinese New Year of the Rat outfit. Two years later (2022) the Bull does not have an outfit on (for the Year of the Tiger). But nice to look two years back (to a couple of months before the first lockdown).

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY of the Rat Bullring bull (Jan 20) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY of the Rat Bullring bull (Jan 20) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY of the Rat Bullring bull (Jan 20) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos below taken on the 25th January 2020.

These views from the top floor balcony in the West Mall of Bullring & Grand Central. The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee putting on a display. It was crowded on all floors.

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2020 Bullring 25012020 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2020 Bullring 25012020 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2020 Bullring 25012020 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

February 2022

Photos below taken 1st February 2022.

Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat began on the 1st February 2022. The Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee were performing all over the City, and in Solihull on the 1st and 2nd February. But I kept missing them, so got the below instead.

 

Southside Media Eye at Birmingham New Street Station - Welcome to the Year of the Rat.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Tiger BNSS BRGC 01022022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Ming Moon Chinese Restaurant & Karaoke Bar. Chinese lanterns seen on Hurst Street.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ming Moon CNY 01022022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Birmingham Hippodrome on Hurst Street. Digital billboard wishing you a Happy (Chinese) New Year!

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BH Hurst St 01022022 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos below taken on 5th February 2022.

Two years later, and the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and Birmingham Hippodrome were back with more performances in the Bullring West Mall. This time I took them from the middle floor balcony. Crowds of people on all floors, was hard to get a spot, so took a few photos over peoples heads.

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="CNY Bullring" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY 2022 Bullring 05022022 (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Join us for spectacular Chinese New Year Celebrations. 5th February, 12pm - 5pm. Seen on the Media Eye at Birmingham New Street Station, facing the Bullring. View from the Moor Street Link Bridge.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/HNYC Grand Central BNSS 05022022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos below taken on 6th February 2022.

From the 1st to 5th February 2022, I kept missing seeing the dancing Chinese lion with the drums. Then managed to get them on The Queen's 70th Anniversary of her Asccension. I saw them at The Arcadian while they were on Cathay Street.

dndimg alt="Cathay St Arcadian" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY Cathay St Arcadian 06022022 (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Cathay St Arcadian" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/CNY Cathay St Arcadian 06022022 (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Gent 48 street art on Wrottesley Street in Southside. Part of the same mural that is on Bath Passage. Seen from Ladywell Walk, opposite The Arcadian.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gent 48 Wrottesley St Sside 06022022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

On Hurst Street. Lamppost with Chinese lanterns. Below is a Birmingham 2022 banner, Be Bold Be Birmingham. Ahead is the unpleasant concrete eyesore over Smallbrook Queensway, with graffiti that urgently needs removing. Or the building demolishing.

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hurst St BBBB Chinese 06022022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

A Gent 48 piece at the end of Smallbrook Queensway near Holloway Circus and Horse Fair. Of a Panda. It's been here since at least 2019 (I took another photo of it when I first saw it three years ago).

dndimg alt="Chinese New Year" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gent 48 SMQ Panda 06022022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown