Helsinki: Chinese New Year Festival Will Be Celebrated at Keskuskatu and Ice Park on February 15th 2018!

(Source: Chinese New Year Festival in Helsinki 2017)

Chinese New Year outdoor event presents dancing lions and dragons and exciting performances by Finnish and Chinese artist groups. Welcome to explore the Chinese market and try out New Year’s delicacies!

The cities of Helsinki and Beijing warmly welcome you to celebrate the Year of the Dog!

Programme on February 15, 2018

15:30 New Year’s Parade from Narinkka Square to Keskuskatu

16:00 Beijing City Contemporary Dance Company: Joyful Lanterns Long Yun Martial Arts Group: Flowing Water Dragon Dance New Year’s Greetings from Silja Line’s Harry the Seal

16:45 Beijing Chinese Orchestra: Moonlight over the Spring River Beijing City Contemporary Dance Company: Xiang he ge Lion Dance Long Yun Martial Arts Group: Bruce Lee Beijing Chinese Orchestra: Sheng solo

17:40 Long Yun Martial Arts Group: Taiji Lion Dance

18:00 New Year begins! New Year’s Speeches Beijing City Contemporary Dance Company: Joyful Lanterns Dragon Dance Launch of Helsinki Mini Program for Chinese travellers

18:30 Beijing Chinese Orchestra: Bu Bu Gao Beijing City Contemporary Dance Company: Suo lin nang Lion Dance

19:00 Long Yun Martial Arts Group: Warrior Year of the Dog at Korkeasaari Zoo Beijing City Contemporary Dance Company: Zodiac Show Dance Dragon Dance

19:40 Long Yun Martial Arts Group: Flowing Water Beijing City Contemporary Dance Company: Xiang he ge Lion Dance Dragon Dance

20:20 Fireworks over Töölönlahti

Ice Park Activities February 15, 2018

16:00 MiniMints: Swift Thieves Skate with me! Free use of ice

17:15 MiniMints: Swift Thieves Skate with me! Free use of ice

17:45 Dragon on Ice

18:00 New Year Begins! Free use of ice

18:30 Skate with me! Free use of ice

19:30 Skate Balance Free use of ice

20:20 Fireworks over Töölönlahti

Side Events

(Source: Chinese New Year Festival in Helsinki 2017)

Zodiac Ice Sculptures

To celebrate the 12th anniversary of Chinese New Year Festival in Helsinki, twelve ice sculptures representing the twelve Chinese zodiac animals will be created at Keskuskatu and Ice Park.

Chinese zodiac is based on a cycle of 12 animals. Each year is related to one of the cycle’s animals and each animal’s attributes are believed to have an impact on the events of the year as well as on the characters of the children born that year.

The sculptures will be made by three Chinese masters of ice sculpting, as well as a team of Finnish and Latvian ice sculpture artists. Yu Zhengqiang, Zhan Weiqi and Wu Taicheng are all top level ice and snow sculpture artists from China. They have participated in various international competitions around the world. Current Finnish champion of ice sculpting, Anssi Kuosa a long with Eeva Karhu and Jouko Aroheinä will represent the Finnish ice sculpting talent at the event. Zigmunds Vilnis and Valdemärs Vilnis from Latvia will also take part in the ice sculpting of the zodiac animals.

Find out your own zodiac animal here and take a selfie together at the event site!

The ice sculptures are sponsored by Finnair.

(Source: Chinese New Year Festival in Helsinki 2017)

Chinese New Year at Ice Park

Red lanterns, market tents and new year’s delicacies will now be discovered for the first time also at Helsinki Railway Square. During the event, six of the twelve Chinese zodiac animal ice sculptures will be created in front of Ice Park. (Read more about the ice sculptures here)

The energetic MiniMints from Helsinki Figure Skating Club will perform at Ice Park. Swift Thieves is a brisk synchronized skating show based on a story about an eventful heist.

In addition to the 29 little thieves, a colorful dancing dragon will also appear on ice to welcome the year of the dog.

Audience will have a chance to show their own skating skills and also take part in ice skating lessons for free.

Skate with me! Ice adventure is Finnish Figure Skating Association’s family skating brand, which is part of the Skating Finland Project. Helsinki Figure Skating Club instructors will familiarize children and adults with skating basics in a fun way. Along with the pleasant ice sport experiences, adults are encouraged to teach their children safe skating skills.

Adults will get to learn skating basics and train sliding while stretching and balancing with the evening’s Skate Balance– program

(Source: Chinese New Year Festival in Helsinki 2017)

Chinese New Year Gala

Chinese New Year festivities will kick off with a Chinese New Year Gala hosted by Chinese Friendship Association on 14th of February. The event will be held in Savoy theater where professional artists from Beijing will astonish with wonderful music, dance and kungfu performances.

Organizer: Chinese Friendship Association together with other Chinese organizations

Co-organizers: Caisa & Finland China Society

With the support of: Embassy of the People’s Republic of China & Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture

*The event is currently fully booked

(Source: Chinese New Year Festival in Helsinki 2017)

Youth Ice Hockey Tournament

To promote the exchanges in winter sports and ice-hockey between Finland and China, the cities of Helsinki and Beijing will organize a friendly youth ice hockey tournament during 7th-9th of February.

In spring 2017 Beijing U12 had their first match with Jokerit in an international tournament held in Beijing. During their stay in Helsinki, Beijing U12 will have three matches with Jokerit 05, HJK and HIFK 06.

Schedule:

7th Feb at 4–5:45 pm: Beijing U12–Jokerit 05

8th Feb at 4–5:45 pm: Beijing U12–HJK

9th Feb at 4–5:45 pm: Beijing U12–HIFK 06

FREE ENTRANCE!

Responsible organizations: City of Helsinki Culture and leisure sector, Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau and Beijing Ice Hockey Association

Beijing Week

In celebration of the 12th Chinese New Year in Helsinki, cities of Beijing and Helsinki will host a series of satellite events before the main Chinese New Year Festival. Beijing Week consists of three activities: Youth Ice Hockey Tournament, Beijing-Helsinki Science and Technology Forum and Winter Sports and Facilities Seminar.

Youth Ice Hockey Tournament

Beijing U12 ice hockey team from Beijing will play three friendly matches against teams from Helsinki in Pirkkola 7th-9th of February.

Beijing-Helsinki Science and Technology Startup Forum 2018

The Science and Technology Startup Forum focuses on presenting technologies in three different tracks:

Artificial intelligence

Smart & Clean

Health & Well-being

The main event consists of keynote speeches, pitching competitions and matchmaking. In addition, there will be guided tours for foreign delegates to relevant Finnish organizations.

Time: February 7th- 9th, 2018

Venues: Feb 7th: Helsinki City Hall; Feb 8th: New Co Helsinki, Juhlasali Hall; Feb 9th: site visits in Helsinki

Responsible organizations:

Beijing: Beijing Municipal Commission of Science & Technology, Beijing Association for International Science & Technology Cooperation, Beijing Sky Ocean Comb plus Technology co.

Helsinki: NewCo Helsinki, Beijing Sky Ocean Comb plus Technology co. office in Helsinki.

Co-organizers:

China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Beijing Sub-Council (CCPIT Beijing), Chinese Association of Science and Technology in Finland (CASTF).

Winter Sports and Facilities Seminar

To further strengthen Beijing-Helsinki cooperation in winter sports ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Helsinki Business Hub will organize a Winter Sport and Facilities Seminar on 7th of February. The seminar focuses on ice sports.

The speakers from Chinese delegation include Beijing Sports Bureau, Chinese Ice Hockey Association (CIHA) and China Council fo the Promotion of International Trade, Beijing Cub-Council (CCPIT Beijing)

The Finnish know-how in ice sports and facilities will be presented by the Finnish Ice-Hockey and Figure Skating Association, architects, companies and other organizations.

Time: February 7th 2018

Venue: Helsinki City Hall

Responsible organization: Helsinki Business Hub