Dragon and lion dances mark Jersey's first ever Lunar New Year celebrations

• Words and video report by Will Tullis

The first ever official Lunar New Year celebrations got underway in Jersey this morning (22 January), with a dragon dance marking the start of two weeks of festivities.

Performers travelled from London to mark the occasion. They led a traditional Chinese dragon dance through St Helier high street and into the Central Market.

Celebrations continued with more performance, as well as food stalls and a treasure hunt.

Lunar New Year is celebrated by billions in China and around the world. Each year represents an animal, and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit.

The festival typically lasts two weeks - and this will also be the case in Jersey. From Sunday (22 January) to Sunday 5 February, Islanders will be able to enjoy a full programme of workshops, taster sessions and activities.

This includes a ping pong open day, a photo exhibition organised alongside the Chinese National Museum of Ethnology, and a dumpling making class at Awabi restaurant in St Helier.

Victoria Li is the organiser behind the island's first official Lunar New Year festivities - and told ITV News she hopes this will be the first year of many.

"There are over 2,000 people on the island with East Asian roots and we thought with this kind of population we should have something really nice to celebrate during the low season.

"This is one of the most important festivals for Chinese people, so I thought why not extend our celebrations to the rest of the Island?

"This is a great opportunity for us to bring more culture to the island and let the island embrace multiculturalism so that's what we want to achieve."

'This is one of the most important festivals for Chinese people, so I thought why not extend our celebrations to the rest of the Island?', festival organiser Victoria Li said.

Performers from London's Shaolin Kung Fu & Tai Chi centre flew in especially for the festivities. Li Ren Ki told ITV News it is always a special feeling seeing people's reactions to the dragon and lion dances.

"It was amazing, I like seeing people's faces and amazement when the dragon or lion so it's been really good", he said.

Officials from China's Tourist Office came to Jersey for the event. Xue Ling, director of China's National Tourist Office in London, said after years of Covid restrictions it has been refreshing to see Lunar New Year festivities underway in a new place.

"For the past three years, for the cultural and tourism sector it's been quite disastrous.

"But we work together, Chinese and British colleagues, to encourage people in this sector to let more people share what we [Chinese people] have."

'For the past three years, for the cultural and tourism sector it's been quite disastrous': Xue Ling, Director of China's Tourist Office in London, reflects on three years of Covid restrictions.

This may be the first time Lunar New Year has come to Jersey. But many are hoping this tradition will continue, for many moons to come.