An event marking Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Fire Horse took place in Belfast on Saturday. Organised by intercultural group ArtsEkta from its new city centre building, the celebration included music, crafts, lion dances and calligraphy workshops.

The Year of the Fire Horse, the first since 1966, began on 17 February. Participants from Chinese, Vietnamese, South Korean and Thai communities joined locals for the festivities. Calligraphy teacher Stella Tsang led workshops and described the occasion as a time for family gatherings.

Local drummer Séamas Ó Labhradha performed with a Belfast-based Chinese lion dance team. He noted similarities between the event and traditional European New Year celebrations, focusing on leaving the old year's troubles behind. Attendees such as Thomas McHugh and Woody with his grandmother Lynn Long enjoyed activities including art decoration, food tasting and watching the lion and dragon dances.

ArtsEkta chief executive Dr Nisha Tandon OBE highlighted the importance of cultures bonding and invited the public to interact with long-term Chinese residents in Northern Ireland. Chinese Consul General in Belfast Li Nan praised ArtsEkta's promotion of multiple cultures and wished success to all communities in the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolising energy, power, strength and courage.

The Fire Horse combines the horse zodiac animal, known for vitality and confidence, with the fire element. Such pairings occur every 60 years. Organisers emphasised the event's role in cultural exchange.