NORTHBRIDGE will come alive on Sunday when thousands of people celebrate Chinese New Year—the Year of the Fire Horse.
It could be a dynamic and exciting 2026 for WA’s Chinese community with the horse (freedom, ambition, leadership) crossing paths with fire (passion, intensity, transformation).
“Fire Horse years are seen as bold, fast-moving and powerful, associated with people who are fearless, outspoken, and highly independent,” says Ke Mei Shao, honorary secretary of the Chung Wah Association.
• (above) The Perth Chinese New Year Fair and (below) the WA Dragon Boat Festival
“Traditionally, the year carried some superstitions, especially about strong-willed women, but today it is widely reinterpreted as a symbol of strength, courage, and empowerment—a year for taking initiative and embracing change.”
At the Perth Chinese New Year Fair, Northbridge will be bustling with street parades, dragon and lion dances, firecrackers and vibrant on-stage performers.
There will be more than 80 cultural and community stalls showcasing items like calligraphy, oriental art and traditional dress, and of course lots of vendors selling Chinese and international cuisine.
“The stage performances are a standout, especially the evening concert, which features multicultural dance, live-band–accompanied duets and choral performances, and the first-ever Tai Chi presentation on the evening stage,” says Shao.
Chung Wah don’t hold any large-scale New Year celebrations south of the river, but a big consolation is the WA Dragon Boat Festival at Fishing boat Harbour in Fremantle.
Aside from the dramatic and colourful boats racing, there will be dragon and lion dancers at Mews Park and Bathers Beach, ceremonial drumming, firecrackers and music.
A highlight of the festival is a performance by Sifu Ken Wu, a Yaolin seventh-generation Kung Fu Master.
He’ll be doing battle drums, aerial pole lion dancing and breath-taking martial arts.
“I first got into kung fu and lion dance after watching a performance in our village in Vietnam,” Wu says.
“My brother and I would climb on the roof of a kung fu club to watch them train, then go home and repeat those techniques.
“Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li are my martial art influences, because they are the first three martial artists I watched when I came to Australia.”
Wu leads the Perth-based Yaolin Kung Fu Association, which aims to preserve and promote Chinese culture.
Formed in 1995, it represented Australia at the 6th International Dragon & Lion Dance Championship in Shanghai 2017, and have performed at thousands of events over the past three decades.
In an age of social media and screen-addiction, Wu says it’s a great outlet for young Chinese people.
“Our children make life long friends, learn manners, respect, responsibilities and have fun performing,” he says.
The 2026 Perth Chinese New Year Fair is on tomorrow (Sunday February 22) at James and Lake Streets, Northbridge from noon-9pm. For details see chungwah.org.au. The WA Dragon Boat Festival is on March 8 from 10am-6pm. For more information see visitfremantle.com.au.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK