To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Dog, the Museum of London Docklands hosted a range of free cultural events during the February half term in tribute to East London’s long running historic links with the Chinese community. The event took place on Friday 16 February (Chinese New Year 2018), the activities ranged from ribbon dancing classes and taekwondo taster sessions to calligraphy. The events culminated with a spectacular dragon dance, in which museum visitors of all ages were led by a professional dance troupe, as well as a host of other themed activities. Traditionally, lion dances were performed in ancient China to chase away the worries of the previous year, whilst welcoming happiness into the next one.

Highlights for the day included:

• Martial arts masters: Learn about Tai Chi and Kung Fu and try them out yourself.
• Ribbon dance workshop: Free traditional dancing drop-in sessions.
• Lion dancing: A professional dancing troupe will lead an authentic lion dance.
• Dance demos: Watch experts perform traditional Ribbon and Peacock dances.