The northern Greek city of Thessaloniki will usher in Chinese Year of the Rat on January 6 with a performance by one of the major Chinese dance companies – the Chongqing Liangjiang Art Troupe – at the city’s Vassiliko Theatre at 20:00.

The evening will feature Chinese acrobats, jugglers, a ballet and works of the Beijing Opera that will transport the audience to the depths of the Orient in a riot of colours.

The “Happy Chinese New Year” show will be the fourth time that the dance company visits Thessaloniki representing Beijing and constitutes an example of the cultural interaction between Greece and China in the context of Greek-Chinese cultural exchange.
Based on their New Year traditions, Chinese people wear new clothes on New Year to symbolise a new start and fresh hopes for the coming year. Their lucky colour is red, which shows optimism and a festive attitude. The New Year celebrations include the dragon and lion dances, which are thought to be a form of prayer for good luck and to dispel evil spirits.

The event is held under the auspices of the Municipality of Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in Athens, with the Thessaloniki Tourism Organisation as organiser.

Admission is free of charge on presentation of a voucher that can be obtained from the Vassiliko Theatre box office and at the website https://www.viva.gr/tickets/theater/vasiliko-theatro/xaroumeni-kineziki-prwtxronia/.