On Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with colleagues Andrew Giles and Sally Sitou, joined thousands of people at Emerald Square in Burwood to celebrate the beginning of the Lunar New Year festivities that were taking place across Sydney.
The beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year marks a time for people to come together to reflect on the year that has passed and to look forward to a bright and prosperous future.
As part of the celebrations, Prime Minister Albanese took part in the traditional lion dance and also made a speech in which he thanked the Chinese community for their contribution to Australian society.
The Prime Minister praised the Chinese community in Australia for their entrepreneurial spirit and hard work, pointing out that they had helped to build a strong economy and vibrant culture.
He emphasised the importance of the Lunar New Year as a time to embrace the spirit of goodwill and friendship and to look to the future with optimism.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong joined Mr Albanese in festivities at the Zhu-Lin Buddhist Temple in South Australia as part of the hundreds of events taking place nationwide in celebration of the new year; the festivities are expected to go on until the end of January.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore expressed hope earlier in the week that the City of Sydney’s festivities across the state capital, which will run until February 5 and are said to be the largest outside of Asia, could help to revitalise Chinatown.
