PICTURES: Highland capital enjoys a traditional performance to celebrate Chinese New Year as ceremony ushers in Tiger year
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Chinese New Year was welcomed in typically colourful style at the Eastgate Shopping Centre last weekend.
Members of the local Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy, joined by branches from Peterhead and Ellon, rung in the event with a traditional performance.
Lion and dragon dance displays were cheered on by spectators with drummers helping to keep the dancers in step.
This year marks the academy’s 10th anniversary, with the performance organised by Simon Hepple who, as owner and chief instructor, has been practising Kung Fu for 22 years.
Members performed the Picking the Green ceremony, a traditional blessing for shops where a lettuce is placed in front of premises to entice the lion in.
The leaves of the lettuce are then spat over the store to bring it good luck.
They also collected red money envelopes from above each shop’s doorway.
Mr Hepple said: “First of all we were just really blown away by the turnout and would love to thank everybody for coming and watching us because that’s what it’s all about. Also thank you to all the businesses that got involved and the students that turned out.”
Want to know more about the Chinese zodiac and find out which year YOU were born in? Check this useful Wikipedia link