Recife Carnival incorporated elements of Chinese New Year into the parade held on 16 February in the historic centre of the Pernambuco capital. The coincidence of dates between the two celebrations motivated local blocos to include references to Chinese culture in the programme. The initiative took place in the context of the ‘China-Brazil Cultural Year’ and reinforced the exchange agenda between the two countries.

In the group that closed the programme, participants wore golden costumes and led a scenic dragon over the crowd. The group also included lion dance performances, with costumes in red and yellow. The leader of the procession guided the dragon by holding the so-called ‘pearl,’ a symbolic element of Chinese tradition.

Hugo Leonardo do Lyra Montalvão, president of the Boêmios de Boa Vista Lyric Block, said that the association decided to include Chinese references to celebrate the Lunar New Year. ‘Brazilian and Chinese cultures meet here, and we hope that this show will promote greater mutual understanding between Brazil and China,’ he said.

(Source: China2Brasil, on 20 February)