15 captivating pictures from Leeds' Chinese New Year celebrations in the Merrion Centre

Huge crowds gathered in the Merrion Centre today to welcome in the Year of the Dragon.

The Leeds shopping centre hosted a jam-packed day of cultural activities, with six hours of entertainment from Qi Lin Dance and the Children and Adults Chinese Choir to mesmerising solo Zither performances.

Crowds were captivated by the York Chinese Community’s Dragon Dance and there were also performances from talented children at the Leeds Chinese Community School.

Chinese New Year has many long-standing traditions, with a main focus on removing the bad and the old to make way for a new year. The Year of the Dragon is associated with strength, positive transformation and challenges.

Here are 15 beautiful pictures from the celebrations in Leeds.

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