Minister welcomes year of Fire Rooster

Ethnic Communities Minister Judith Collins will welcome members of the Chinese community to mark the most important festival on the Chinese calendar at Parliament tonight.

“Chinese New Year is the biggest and most important festival in the Chinese calendar, and is fast becoming very popular among the wider New Zealand society. It is a time to celebrate with family and to take stock before moving forward.

“This is the Year of the Fire Rooster. The Rooster Year is said to be characterised by great progress, with rewards for those who have the Rooster traits of loyalty, commitment, hard work and family values.

“Chinese people have been settling in New Zealand for more than 150 years and today, about 172,000 Chinese people call New Zealand home. Some have ancestors who arrived in the nineteenth century, others have recently come from China; and some are from other parts of the world,’ Ms Collins says.

“China is our second largest export partner, our biggest international education market and our second largest tourist market. About 50,000 tourists are expected from China to spend their Chinese New Year holidays in New Zealand. 

“Parliament has held Chinese New Year celebrations since 2002. About 180 people are expected to attend this year, from 18 ethnic communities,’ Ms Collins says.

Happy Chinese New Year
Xin Nian Kuai Le
[pronounced: Shin Nee-an Kwai Le]