Telford culture centre taking part in London's Chinese New Year celebrations after Covid travel restrictions

Leaders Telford's Chinese Arts and Culture Centre in Telford have spoken of their honour and excitement at being picked to perform in the capital's iconic celebrations and help welcome in the Year of the Rabbit.

The annual celebration sees thousands of people gather at London's West End to view live performances and colourful parades and get a taste of China.

The capital's lunar festivities are purported to be the biggest celebration outside of Asia.

Grace Tong director at the Telford centre, said they were thrilled to be invited back to London, after taking part in the Lord Mayor's Show in November.

"We're really excited, but there's a lot to practise!" she said.

"It's a really unique opportunity and very competitive, so it's an honour to be involved."

Eighteen performers from the centre will be attending the celebration to perform dances and music on the pipa - a traditional instrument sometimes called the 'Chinese lute', that has been played for almost two thousand years in China.

The performances will demonstrate the skills the group have developed throughout the pandemic, with dance and pipa classing going virtual to handle restrictions.

Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, is an annual festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon that occurs between January 21 and February 20.

This year, it officially begins on Sunday, January 22, and ends on February 1. The London event will take place on January 22.

The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, and has been celebrated in China for thousands of years in various forms across the country's diverse regions.

It is centred on removing the old and bad, and welcoming the new and good.