China Now
China Now is the largest festival of Chinese culture ever in Britain. Starting with the Chinese New Year celebrations, the 6-month nationwide festival includes exhibitions, performances and activities spanning Chinese film, cuisine, comics, art, literature, music, design, science, technology, business, education and sport.
The China Now events are happening from Thursday 7 February until the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in July. With over 800 events all around Britain, China Now will showcase the very best of modern Chinese society and culture.
The festival starts on Thursday 7 February with a lantern lighting ceremony at London's Oxford Circus, followed by a full day of family fun at the British Museum on Saturday 9 February and a day of celebrations with fireworks at Trafalgar Square on Sunday 10 February, Chinese New Year.
The festival highlights include Manhua! China Comics Now, the first ever exhibition in Britain to explore the powerful narrative art form of comics and graphic novels in China and Hong Kong, taking place from 7 March - 11 April at the London College of Communication.
Another exhibition not to miss is China Design Now at the V&A Museum, the first exhibition in Britain to explore the recent explosion of new design in China, happening from 15 March - 13 July.
From 16 May - 29 June China Now hits the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, with the Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo Sculptural Installation - a combination of live performances, sculptural installations and unique workshops which will inspire you to explore the gardens with your ears as well as your eyes, while giving you an insight into traditional and contemporary Chinese culture.
On 27 July the festival comes to the social event of the summer season - Ascot. Hong Kong Race Day is a family day featuring a combination of magnificent oriental displays and spectacular racing action set to attract around 20,000 race fans.
And the Royal Opera House wraps up the China Now festival in style with Acrobatic Swan Lake, showing from 4 - 9 August. Swan Lake gets a radical makeover from a unique Chinese company combining classical ballet and traditional acrobatics to create a spectacular new interpretation of the greatest classical ballet of all time.
For more information on the China Now events, visit China Now (www.chinanow.org.uk/).