The City of Sydney hosted its annual Twilight Parade on January 29 to welcome in the auspicious Chinese Year of the Dragon.

Thousands of spectators packed the streets of Sydney as 3000 performers wound their way from the city’s town hall to Chinatown. A nine-metre long dragon float was the centerpiece of this year’s parade.

More than 3,000 local and international performers took part in this year’s event, including 135 artists from Chengdu – showing off their stunning Panda Puppets, Fire Dragons and ethnic dancers. A unique mix of dynamic live music, amazing floats, flamboyant dragons, dazzling costumes and illuminated zodiac lanterns were highlighted against a background of light projections along the parade route.

The event, which takes organizers a year to prepare for and costs more than A$1 Million to run, this year incorporated fiery floats, martial arts demonstrations, circus performers, Chinese musicians, ballroom dancers, live art installations and visiting groups from Beijing, Shanghai, Anhui and Xian. ■