Join me as I celebrate the Lantern Festival in Campsie, Sydney! 🚍✨ With trains canceled and the metro still under construction, I took a free bus to get there—hope they finish the metro soon! Campsie, home to a vibrant Chinese community, is the perfect place for this festival.
Organized by the Canterbury-Bankstown Council, the Lantern Festival brings the community together to mark the 15th day of the Lunar New Year—a time for family, lanterns, and sweet tangyuan. But did you know it was once banned in China during the Cultural Revolution? Luckily, it made a comeback and is now celebrated with month-long festivities in some cities!
At Anzac Park, I explored food stalls, watched performances, and helped teach kids and families how to fold beautiful origami lotus flowers for the Petals of Peace project. 💛 This meaningful initiative promotes peace and raises awareness about Falun Dafa. Seeing children so excited to create their own lotus flowers was truly heartwarming!
Just as we packed up at 9 PM, rain started falling—perfect timing! Luckily, my husband picked me up, and we ended the night with warm tangyuan at home. 🍡
With the trains cancelled and the metro still under construction,
I'm grateful for this free bus service to Camp C. Hopefully the new metro will be completed soon,
making travel more convenient for everyone. I've just arrived in Camp C, a vibrant suburb about
11km southwest of Sydney CBD. The streets are alive with activity as everyone prepares for
the Lantern Festival at Anzac Square. Camp C is home to a diverse community,
with a significant portion of its population have a Chinese heritage.
This cultural richness makes festivals like today's Lantern Festival particularly special
here. Today marks the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, known as the Lantern Festival.
Here at Anzac Park, the festival is in full swing. Let's explore the stalls and see what's
on offer. This is part of the Canterbury Banktown Council, so this year is the Year of the Snake.
Traditionally, it's a time when families get together to light lanterns, solve riddles and
enjoy sweet rice balls called Tang Yuan, symbolizing unity and completeness. During
China's Cultural Revolution, the Lantern Festival was banned as part of the campaign against the
Four Olds, old ideas, old culture, old customs and old habits. After Mao Zedong passed in 1976,
Deng Xiaoping took control and started to ease some of the restrictions imposed by the CCP,
allowing the Chinese people to once again celebrate the Lantern Festival.
In some cities, the festival now lasts for an entire month,
with lanterns adorning cities much like Christmas decoration in the West.
Wow, sugarcane juice bar, look at this.
So many traditions, so Australia, and we cannot not have dumplings.
Hello, what are you making? This is called paella, so it's got chicken, chorizo and pork.
Wow, smells so amazing. Thank you, it tastes pretty good as well.
Thank you. So I ordered paella, it's a Spanish tradition, let's see.
A bit heavy for tonight. Still early in the day, so not too many people yet.
Hello!
I'm here to assist in teaching the kids and anyone interested how to fold paper lotus flowers
for the Petals of Peace project. I recently learned this craft and I'm excited to share it today.
Look at all these beautiful flowers made by the children. Their enthusiasm is truly heartwarming.
Very good, then do the opposite one. That's the finished flower.
Petals of Peace is an initiative inspired by Falun Dafa, aiming to promote peace and raise
awareness about the persecution faced by practitioners in China. Through the simple
act of folding paper lotus flowers, participants spread messages of hope and resilience.
It's 9 pm and it's starting to rain and everyone is packing up. What a lovely day! It's been a
celebration of culture, community and the enduring spirit of tradition.
So come home and have tang yuan. Last day of the Chinese New Year.
