BUNBURY CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL
JANUARY 18 + 19 2025
6PM - 10PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY, WA
Celebrate the rich culture of China at the immersive Bunbury Chinese Lantern Festival! Join the vibrant Bunbury community for two enchanting evenings in the beautiful southwest coastal city of Bunbury.
CELEBRATE CHINESE CULTURE
WITH THE BUNBURY COMMUNITY
WHAT TO EXPECT
Bring the whole family along and explore the many installations that the whole community has helped to make. You're welcome to bring a picnic and experience the culture, creativity and connection around you.
DECEMBER 8 | 4pm - 7pm
BICENTENNIAL SQUARE, BUNBURY
LANTERN DECORATING
Decorate your very own milk bottle lantern and leave it with us to hang at the Festival!
JANUARY 18 + 19 | 6PM - 10PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
SNAKES AND LADDERS
This year, we're transforming the Bunbury Labirynth into an interactive Snakes and Ladders game, in honour of the Year of the Snake. Take your turn rolling our dice (accessible on any mobile phone) and join in the fun
JANUARY 18 + 19 | 6PM - 10PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
LANTERN WALK
Take a moment to reflect and wander along our lantern walk through the festival. Our 600 lanterns have been decorated by the community
JANUARY 18 + 19 | 6PM - 10PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
PERFORMANCES
Enjoy a range of pop-up performances, including a martial arts demonstration from Poh and Tigress, and a mini Dragon Dance!
JANUARY 18 + 19 | 6PM - 10PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree
Write down your wish, and add it to our Wishing Tree - inspired by the famous banyan tree in Lam Tsuen, Hong Kong.
JANUARY 4 - 18
SOUL MADE CRYSTAL SHOP
LANTERN RIDDLE TRAIL
Using your special card of clues from Soul Made you will make your way around the CBD solving the riddles. Once Soul Made has verified all the answers are correct you can bring it along to the Festival for a free gift.
JANUARY 18 + 19 | 6PM - 10PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
NOONGAR ARTIST DISPLAY
Artists from the Noongar Arts Program have created a beautiful display to celebrate two of the oldest living cultures in the world.
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JANUARY 18 + 19 | 8PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
SHADOW PUPPET PLAY
Children from 6 local schools have worked with professional artists and puppeteers to bring you the delightful folktale of the 12 zodiac animals and their race to get to the Jade Emperor.
JANUARY 18 + 19 | 6PM - 10PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
PEONIES PHOTO OP
Multiple community groups throughout Bunbury have joined in to create hundreds of peonies for a stunning display for the festival.
JANUARY 18 + 19 | FROM 6PM
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP GARDEN, BUNBURY
GOURMET ASIAN SAUSAGE SIZZLE
BYO Picnic or enjoy a wallet-friendly , wastage-friendly sausage sizzle with the best sauces from around Asia.
Choose from a hoisin pork or a vegetarian sausage with Asian slaw, and a variety of sauces.
THE HISTORY OF THE BUNBURY CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL
The Bunbury Chinese Lantern Festival has deep roots in the community, dating back to 1967 when Wally and Marianne Yip, one of the first mixed-race couples in Bunbury, opened the city's first Chinese restaurant. Originally from Singapore and Hungary, respectively, Wally and Marianne met on Bondi Beach and brought a unique blend of cultures to Bunbury.
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The festival began in 2017 at the Stirling Street Arts Centre, initially as a Chinese New Year celebration. Over time, it evolved beyond New Year festivities to become a broader showcase of Chinese culture, now held at the Friendship Garden. With a mission to celebrate Chinese culture and promote racial harmony, the festival provides a free, inclusive space for the community to gather, fostering understanding and connection through artistic expression and cultural exchange.
CHINESE LANTERNS
THE STORY BEHIND THE RED LANTERNS
According to legend, the beginning of the Chinese New Year Festival started with a mythical beast called the Nian. The Nian would eat villagers, especially children. One year, all the villagers decided to hide from the beast but just before they did this an old man appeared before them and said that he wouldn’t hide but would stay the night and get revenge on the Nian. All the villagers thought he was crazy but they the old man stayed and put red papers up and set off firecrackers.
The day after, the villagers came back to their town to see that nothing was destroyed. They assumed that the old man was a deity who came to save them but upon further thought the villagers realized the Nian was afraid of the colour red and loud noises.
When the next New Year was about to come, the villagers wore red clothes, hung red lanterns and red scrolls on windows and door and set off firecrackers to frighten away the Nian.
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From then on, the Nian never came to the village again.
