The Year of the Dragon is upon us and to celebrate, Metropolis at Metrotown is transforming into a cultural hub for Lunar New Year festivities from February 9th till February 24th.
The Lunar New Year varies each year based on, you guessed it, the Lunar Calendar and begins with the new moon that occurs between late January and early February of each year. It is one of the biggest and most important festivals in Asian cultures, and a time for families and friends to reconnect and bond over delicious food, captivating dances and performances, and share in each otherโs good fortune and wealth.
With colourful and majestic decor, a roster of free and educational workshops, live entertainment and more, Metropolis at Metrotown invites everyone to join in this yearโs celebrations. Hereโs a look at some of our favourite ways to usher in the New Year at BCโs largest shopping centre.
With an incredible 30-foot-long dragon adorning the Grand Court, designed locally by Soleil Lawrence Tosczak and Lazy Wizard Design, Metropolis at Metrotown has spared no expense in welcoming the new year. (Fun fact: The dragon deflates every night and inflates every morning!) Here, you will also find beautiful cherry blossoms, red lanterns, and more.
To kick off the good will on Lunar New Yearโs Eve, Metropolis at Metrotown will offer a red pocket containing a $25 gift card, a retail voucher, and a memento for shoppers who spend a lucky $288 or more at any retailer in the shopping centre โ including favourites like Gap Kids, Build-A-Bear, and Roots. Guests can pick their bountiful red pockets from the cherry blossom tree in the Grand Court, where the generosity continues โ for each red pocket picked, Metropolis at Metrotown will donate $5 to Angels on Earth Society, a Burnaby-based charity which provides culture education to students at no cost. โSpend and Getโ is available February 9th-24th.
Metropolis at Metrotown offers revellers and visitors alike a chance to partake in the Lunar New Year excitement through a plethora of activations over the 15 days of celebrations, such as experiencing a live Lion Dance on February 14th.
Lion Dances are a performative method of scaring away evil spirits, such as Nian, an ancient beast shaped like a lion with a horn on its head. Traditionally, lion dancers are well-trained in martial arts and the dance is an excellent way to display their skills. Follow along to the beat of the drum, which represents the lionโs heart. You may even experience being sprayed with some lucky leafy greens by the lion. The greens represent wealth, which the lion chases, eventually consumes, and spits back out into the audience to shower the people with good luck and fortune โ but donโt worry, even if you donโt get showered with wealth, youโll still have an opportunity to receive it in the red pockets The Met will be handing out.
If you canโt make it on the 14th, visitors of the centre will have a second chance on February 16th to receive a lucky red pocket from the Lucky Buddha himself. With plenty of photo opportunities for the whole family, the Lucky Buddha will be available from 12pm – 2pm, along with a musical performance that will feature the guzheng, a traditional, rectangular, stringed instrument in Chinese culture.
Of course, no festival is complete without its food component โ on February 17th, Chef Kevin Ao will host numerous culinary workshops throughout the day. Attendees will learn how to prepare traditional Lunar New Year meals. Bring your appetites as some lucky audience members will be able to take home a delicious treat.
The Lantern Festival (February 24th) marks the end of the Lunar New Year on the 15th day of celebrations, and lands on the full moon. It is a day showered with bright lantern displays and the consumption of sweet rice balls called tangyuan. To prepare for the day, on February 23rd, Metropolis at Metrotown will offer a creative craft workshop for you and your kids to make your own Lantern Festival decor. With three traditional artisans to learn from: a Chinese dragon artisan, a Chinese gold phoenix artisan and a Chinese lantern artisan, everyone is welcome to attend.
For a last hurrah, bring your newly-made lantern decor to the centre on February 24th and enjoy a festive day of dance, music and fun. Metropolis at Metrotown will be hosting a dumpling eating contest, offer a demonstration on how to lion dance, and will be featuring traditional and K-pop dance music throughout the day to conclude the Lunar New Year celebrations.
For more exciting events and full details on Metropolis at Metrotownโs Lunar New Year festivities, visit www.metropolisatmetrotown.com
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