Tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world flocked to London Trafalgar Square to celebrate the Lunar New Year on 22 January 2023. For the 22nd consecutive year, the Bank of China London Branch supported the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia. For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, the event returned fully offline.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan sent congratulatory messages. Mr Yang Xiaoguang, Chargé d'affaires and Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, attended the celebrations and delivered a speech to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
The traditional handmade floats, the largest dragon and lion dance group in Europe joined the celebration parade around Chinatown. The classic lion dance performance, unique live music show and Chinese dance performances at the Trafalgar Square main stage area drew huge rounds of applause.
Bank of China staff dressed up as the "God of Wealth" and handed out red pockets to give the visitors best wishes from the Bank. London Branch's stand attracted many visitors to stop by as the Chinese style souvenirs, the products and business details introduced by our staff formed part of effective marketing to customers.
Since its debut in 2002, the London Chinese New Year Celebration has attracted more than 700,000 people each year, making it the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia and one of the UK's most important multicultural events.
Outside London, 150,000 people gathered in the centre of Manchester to participate in the 2023 Greater Manchester Chinese New Year celebration on January 22nd. London Branch has supported this event for more than 10 years. The staff introduced our services to visitors and conveyed Chinese culture through Chinese calligraphy.
On January 21st, the Chinese New Year’s Eve, a unique Chinese New Year concert was successfully held in Edinburgh Usher Hall. The Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Chinese artists jointly presented a cultural feast combining East and West. More than 2,000 people celebrated Chinese New Year together. London Branch has supported this concert for over 8 years.
And on January 22nd, London Branch participated in the Chinese New Year celebration held in Birmingham Chinatown. Representatives of the branch visited business clients in Chinatown and promoted our products on the day.
In the future, the Bank of China London Branch will continue to carry out the group mission to "Bridge China and the world for the common good", in higher spirits, at full steam, fulfil the corporate social responsibilities, promote Chinese culture overseas, and to spare no effort to open up the brand new picture of building us into a first-class global banking group.
Happy Year of the Rabbit!
